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The  Life  of  Marie  Amelie 


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The  Life  of  Marie  Amelie 


U 


Last  Queen   of  the   French 

1782-1866 


With  some  Account  of  the  Principal  Personages  at  the 

Courts    of   Naples    and    France    in   her    time,    and 

of  the    Careers    of  her    Sons  and    Daughters 

By 

C.  C.  Dyson 

Author  of  "  Madame   de   Maintenon  ;    Her   Life   and  Times  " 


With  Photogravure  Portrait,  and  Twenty-four  other  Portraits 

and  Illustrations 


NEW    YORK 
D.    APPLETON   AND   COMPANY 

1910 


LIST    OF   AUTHORITIES    ON   WHICH   THIS 
"LIFE  OF  MARIE  Am£lIE"IS  FOUNDED 

"  Historian's  History  of  the  World."    24  vols.     1908.     "  Times." 
"Vie  de  Marie Amelie."    Par  M.  Trognon.     Paris,  1871. 
"  Les  Femmes  du  Tuileries."    Par  Imbert  St.  Amand. 

'*  Marie  Amelie  a  la  Cour  de  Tuileries."     Par  Imbert  St.  Amand. 
1893. 

"Marie  Amelie  et  la  Duchesse  d'Orleans."     Par  Imbert  St.  Amand. 
1892. 

"  La  Duchesse  de  Berry  a  la  Cour  de  Charles  X."    Par  Imbert  St. 
Amand. 

"  La  Duchesse  de  Berry  dans  la  Vendee."    Par  Imbert  St.  Amand. 
1892. 

"Memoirs  of  Louis   XVIII."     By   himself.      Edited  by  Lamotte 
Houdancourt.     1832. 

"  Correspondance  Privee  de  Louis  XVIII."    1836. 

*'  Men  Journal."    Par  Louis  Philippe  Due  d'Orleans.    1815. 

"  Philippe  :6galite  et  M.  Chiappini."    Par  M.  Vitrae.     1907. 

"Louis  Philippe  d'Orleans  ou  Chiappini."    Par  M.  Dumont.     1890. 

"The  Mystery  of  Stella  Lady  Newborough."    By  Sir  Ralph  Payne 
Gallwey.    1907. 

"  jfichange  Criminelle.     Memoires  de  Maria  Stella."    1848. 

5 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES 

"  Les  Princes  d'Orleans."    By  M.  Yriarte.     1872. 

"  Life  of  Nelson."    By  Pettigrew.     1849. 

"  The  Queen  of  Naples  and  Lord  Nelson."    By  Jeaffreson.     1889. 

"The  Queen  of  Naples  and  Lady  Hamilton."     By  Jeaffreson.     1890. 

"  History  of  Kingdom  of  Naples."      By  General  P.  Colletta.     Trans- 
lated by  E.  Horner.     1858. 

"Vie  de  Marie  Caroline,  Reine  des  Deux  Siciles."     Par  M.  Gagniere. 
1886. 

"Journal  of  Miss  Cornelia  Knight."     1802. 

"  Memoirs  of  the  Courts  of  Europe  at  Close  of  Eighteenth  Century," 
By  A.  Swinburne.    2  vols. 

"  Les  Memoires  de  Mme.  Vigee  le  Brun." 

"  Memoires  de  Mme.  de  Genlis."     1808. 

"  L'Idylle  d'un  Gouverneur."     1904.    Par  M.  Maugras. 

"  La  Fille  de  Louis  XVI."    Par  G.  le  Notre.    1908. 

"L'Histoirede  I'Emigration."    2  vols.     E.  Daudet.    1889. 

"  La  Revolution  de  1848."    Par  A.  de  Lamartine.     2  vols.     1870. 

*'  Le  Due  de  Nemours."      Par  Renee  Bazin,  de  I'Academie  Frangais. 
Paris.     1907. 

"En  Marge  de  notre  Histoire."     Par  Baron  de  Maricourt.     1906. 
"  Les  Enfants  du  Due  de  Berry."     D'apr6s  des  documents  inedits. 
Par  Vicomte  de  Reiset.     1905. 

"Adelaide  d'Orleans,  I'Egerie  de  Louis  Philippe."     D'apres  docu- 
ments inedits.     Par  Raoul  Armaud.     1908. 

"  The  Letters  of  Queen  Victoria."     1907. 

"The  Romance  of  Savoy."     By  Marchesa  Vitteleschi.     1908. 

"  Les  Reines  de  I'Emigration."      Par  Vicomte   de  Reiset.      Paris. 
1907. 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES 

"  Memoires  de  la  Comtesse  de  Boigne."     1907. 

"  Vieux  Souvenirs."    Du  Prince  de  Joinville.    1905. 

"Journal  de  Cuvillier  Fleury."    1889. 

"Dix  ans  ^  la  Cour  de  Louis  Philippe."    Par  M.  Appert.     1886. 

"  Les  Secrets  des  Bourbons."    1882. 

"  Les  derniers  Bourbons."     Par  M.  Nauny,     1883. 

"Prince  Talleyrand  et  la  Maison  d'Orleans."    Par  la  Comtesse  de 
Mirabeau.    1890. 

"  Les  Favorites  de  Louis  XVIII."    Par  M.  Turquan.     1900. 

"  Portrait  de  Louis  Philippe."    Par  M.  Dumesnil.     1848. 

"  Life  and  Times  of  Louis  Philippe."    By  A.  E.  Douglas.     1870. 

"  Memoii-es  de   M.  Claude,  Chef  de   Police   sous   Louis   Philippe." 
Paris.     1881. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 

Notes  on  the  History  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  Two  Sicilies — The 
Reign  of  Ferdinando  IV.  and  Maria  Carolina,  parents  of 
Marie  Amelie,  Qvieen  of  the  French 15 


CHAPTER    II. 

Marie  Amelie's  Home  at  Naples — Her  Childhood — Betrothal  to 
Marie  Antoinette's  Son  the  Dauphin — His  Death — Her 
Girlhood — Her  Brothers  and  Sisters — Lord  Nelson  at  the 
Court  of  Naples — Arrival  of  French  Army — Flight  of  Royal 
Family  from  Naples 29 


CHAPTER    III. 

Flight  of  the  King  and  Queen  to  Sicily — Their  Life  there  with 
their  Family — Visit  of  the  Queen  and  her  Daughters  to 
Austria — Return  to  Naples — Second  Flight  to  Sicily — 
Arrival  in  the  Island  of  Louis  Philippe,  Due  d'Orleans, 
Future  Husband  of  Marie  Amelie 50 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Notes  on  the  Life  of  Louis  Philippe,  Due  d'Orleans,  and  his 
Family — His  Political  Opinions — His  Home,  Education, 
Adventures— His  Father's  Fate— The  French  Revolution    -      73 

9 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   V. 


PAOB 


Life  of  Louis  Philippe  after  the  execution  of  his  Father — Exile 
in  America  and  England — Visits  Sicily— Prejudice  against 
him — Becomes  engaged  to  the  Princess  Marie  Amelie, 
daughter  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  the  Two  Sicilies — 
Marriage  and  life  in  Sicily — Fall  of  Napoleon  and  Restora- 
tion of  Louis  XVIII. — The  Due  d'Orleans  returns  to  France    100 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Restoration  of  Louis  XVIII. — His  Character — Comte  d'Artois 
— "  Monsieur  " — Madame  Royale — The  Due  d'Orleans  pre- 
sents his  Wife  and  Family  at  Court — The  Manner  of  their 
Reception — King's  Opinion  of  Marie  Amelie        -        -        -    116 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Life  at  the  Palais  Royal— The  Hundred  Days— The  Life  of  the 
d'Orleans  Family  in  England— Louis  XVIII.'s  Opinion  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans— His  Return  to  France  with  his  Family    136 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Life  at  the  Palais  Royal— General  Admiration  felt  for  Marie 
Amelie— The  Education  of  her  Sons— The  Marriage  of  the 
Due  de  Berry  to  Marie  Amelie's  Niece— The  Assassination 
of  the  Due  de  Berry— The  Birth  of  the  Due  de  Bordeaux    -    153 


CHAPTER     IX. 

Death  of  Louis  XVIII.— Accession  of  Charles  X.— Favour 
shown  by  new  King  to  the  Due  d'Orleans- The  Happiest 
Years  of  Marie  Amelie's  Life— Wealth  of  the  d'Orleans 
Family — Marie  Amelie's  Journey  to  Savoy  to  Visit  her 
Sister  the  Queen  of  Sardinia — Visit  of  Neapolitan  Royal 
Family  to  Paris— Splendid  Fete  at  the  Palais  Royal         -     168 

10 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  X. 


PAOB 


Character  of  Adelaide  d'Orleaus,  Sister  of  Louis  Philippe — 
The  Important  Part  she  played  in  the  Revolution  of  1830, 
and  the  July  Monarchy — Abdication  of  Charles  X. — Charac- 
ter of  Louis  Philippe — Opinion  of  Europe — He  is  declared 
King  of  the  French  ........    i8i 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Disturbances  and  Insurrections — Life  of  Marie  Amelie  and 
Louis  Philippe  as  King  and  Queen  of  the  French — King's 
Motives  for  accepting  Crown — Public  Opinion  on  Marie 
Amelie — Her  Reluctance  to  accept  Crown — The  Duchesse 
de  Berry's  Attempt  to  raise  an  Insurrection  in  favour  of 
her  Son — Her  Imprisonment  at  Blaye 201 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Louis  Philippe  as  Statesman — The  xldmiration  of  his  Ministers 
— The  Great  Benefits  he  Conferred  on  France — The  Charities 
of  Marie  Amelie — Marie  Amelie's  Distinguished  Sons — Her 
Letters  to  them — The  Marriages  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  and 
Due  de  Nemours — Bravery  of  the  whole  d'Orleans  Family — 
Attempts  on  Life  of  Louis  Philippe 226 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Notes  on  Marie  Amelie's  Sons — Their  Characters  and  Careers 
{Continued) — Marriages  of  her  Daughters — Sudden  Death  of 
Due  d'Orleans,  Heir  to  the  Throne — Opinion  of  Europe — 
Effect  on  Dynasty — Sorrow  of  Marie  Amelie — Subsequent 
Life  at  Tuileries  (Routine  of) — Marie  Amelie's  Daughters- 
in-law 246 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Visit  of  Queen  Victoria  to  France — Visit  of  Louis  Philippe  to 
England— Death  of  Madame  Adelaide — Disturbed  State  of 
France  — Revolution  of  1848  — Abdication  and  Flight  of 
King  and  Queen 260 

11 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   XV. 


PAGE 


Arrival  of  the  King  and  Queen  in  England,  followed  by  that  of 
other  Members  of  the  Family — Their  Adventures  m  route — 
Kindness  of  Queen  Victoria,  who  gives  them  a  Residence  at 
Claremont — Life  at  Claremont — Opinion  of  Europe  as  to 
Abdication  —  Death  of  Louis  Philippe  —  Marie  Amelie's 
Visits  to  the  Continent — Her  Meeting  with  the  Comte  de 
Chambord — Death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Nemours — Celebra- 
tion of  Marie  Amelie's  seventy-fifth  Birthday       -        .        .     284 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Death  of  Duchesse  de  Nemours  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans — Marie 
Amelie's  Interest  in  the  Education  of  her  Grandchildren — 
Her  Grandsons  enter  the  Spanish  Army — Field  Sports  at 
Claremont — The  Royal  Choir — The  Princes  go  to  America 
and  Take  Part  in  the  Civil  War — Marriages  in  the  Family 
— Last  Illness  and  Death  of  the  Queen — Notes  on  the  Sub- 
sequent Fate  of  her  Descendants 301 


END 


12 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Peincesse  Marie  Amelik  de  Boukbon-Naples      -         -        Frontispiece 
From  portrait  iu  Musee  de  Versailles  by  Mme.  Vigee  le  Brun. 

FACING   PAOK 

King  Ferdlnaj^do  IV.  of  Naples  at  his  Accession    -        -        -      20 
From  portrait  by  A.  R.  Mengs  in  National  Museum,  Naples. 

PaIiAzzo  di  Casbrta        -        -        - -      30 

From  photo  by  G.  Brogi,  Naples. 

BllNG   FeRDINANDO   IV.   AND    QuEEN    MaRIA   CAROLINA   WITH   THEIR 

Family     ----- 34 

From  painting  by  Angelica  Kaufmann  in  the  Capodimonte  Museum, 
Naples. 

Fountains  in  Palace  Grounds  at  Caserta 46 

Photographed  by  E.  Brogi,  Naples. 

Chapel  in  Royal  Palace  at  Palermo 104 

By  E.  Brogi,  Naples. 

Palazzo  d'Orleans,  Palermo 108 

By  E.  Brogi,  Naples. 

King  Louis  XVIII. 116 

From  print  in  British  Museum. 

CoMTESSE  de  Provence,  Wife  of  Louis  XVIII.  -         -         -        -     118 
From  print  in  British  Museum. 

Marie  Therese  de  Bourbon,  Madame  Royale    -        -        .        -    128 
From  print  in  British  Museum. 

Marie  Amelie,  Duchesse  d"Orleans,  and  the  Due  de  Chartres    138 
From  portrait  by  M.  David  in  Capodimonte  Museum,  Naples. 

Duchesse  d'Angouleme  (Madame  Royale)   -----     154 
From  print  in  British  Museum. 

13 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING   PAGB 

Ferdinand,  Due  de  Chahtres 162 

Fkan^ois,  Prince  de  Joinville 164 

Louis  Charles,  Due  de  Nemours 166 

Henri,  Due  d'Aumale 168 

Antoine,  Due  de  Montpensier 174 

The  portraits  of  these  five  brothers  are  all  reproduced  from  paint- 
ings by  A.  Dubois  Drahonnet  in  the  Capodimonte  Museum, 
Naples. 

Charles  X.  - 170 

From  print  in  British  Museum. 

Princesse  Clementine  d'Orleans 176 

From  portrait  by  A.  Dubois  Drahonnet  in  Capodimonte  Museum, 
Naples. 

Madame  Adelaide,  Sister  of  Kjng  Louis  Philippe     -         -        -     182 
From  portrait  in  Cabinet  des  Estampes,  Biblioth^que  Nationale, 
Paris. 

DUCHESSE  DE  Berry 216 

From  print  in  British  Museum. 

King  Louis  Philippe 226 

From  print  in  British  Museum. 

Queen  Marie  Amelie 230 

From  portrait  by  Winterhalter  in  Windsor  Castle. 

Princesse  Louise  d'Orleans,  Queen  of  the  Belgians        -        -    250 
From  painting  by  A.  Dubois  Drahonnet  in  Capodimonte  Museum, 
Naples. 

Princesse  Marie  d'Orleans -        -    252 

From  painting  by  A.  Dubois  Drahonnet  in  Capodimonte  Museum, 

Naples. 

t 


U 


CHAPTER  I. 

Notes  on  the  History  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  Two  Sicihes — The 
Keign  of  Ferdinando  IV.  and  Maria  Carolina,  parents  of  Marie 
Am6Ue,  Queen  of  the  French. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  history  a  royal  lady 
whose  life  is  fuller  of  interest  than  that  of  Marie 
Am^lie,  last  Queen  of  the  French,  on  account  of 
the  varied  scenes  through  which  she  passed,  and  her 
connection  with  so  many  personages  who  played  an 
important  part  in  the  history  of  Europe  in  the  eight- 
eenth and  beginning  of  nineteenth  century. 

She  was  in  fact  a  link  between  the  old  regime  and 
the  modern  world.  Yet  while  the  name  of  her  pre- 
decessor Marie  Antoinette  (the  last  to  bear  the  title 
of  Queen  of  France,  as  distinct  from  Queen  of  the 
French,  assumed  by  the  later  occupant  of  the  French 
throne)  is  a  household  word  all  over  the  world,  few 
of  the  general  public  have  a  clear  idea  of  who  Marie 
Amelie  was,  or  when  she  lived. 

She  was  granddaughter  of  the  great  Empress  of 
Austria,  Maria  Theresa  ;  niece  of  Marie  Antoinette ; 
aunt  of  the  Archduchess  Marie  Louise,  Napoleon's 
second  wife ;  and  she  lived,  as  wife  of  Louis  Philippe 
d'Orl^ans,  last  King  of  the  French,  to  enjoy  the 
friendship  of  Queen  Victoria,  in  whose  kingdom  the 

15 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

last  eighteen  years  of  her  life  were  spent. ^  Marie 
Amelie  was  the  fourth  daughter  of  Ferdinand,  fourth 
king  of  the  Two  Sicilies,  and  his  wife  Maria  Carolina 
Charlotte,  thirteenth  of  the  sixteen  children  born  to 
Maria  Theresa,  Queen  of  Hungary  and  Empress  of 
Austria  and  her  husband  Francis  of  Lorraine,  Duke  of 
Tuscany.  Maria  Carolina  was  the  seventh  daughter  ; 
she  had  one  younger  sister,  the  unfortunate  Marie 
Antoinette,  who  became  Queen  of  France. 

The  Kingdom  of  the  two  Sicilies  consists  of  the 
island  of  Sicily,  divided  from  the  Italian  Peninsula  by 
the  narrow  Straits  of  Messina,^  and  that  part  of  Italy 
which  extends  from  the  extreme  south  of  the  penin- 
sula in  38°  up  to  41°.  The  continental  part  of  the 
Sicilian  kingdom  contains  the  provinces  of  Calabria, 
Apulia,  Basilicata  and  Campania,  where  the  capital, 
Naples,  is  situated. 

Sicily  had  been  part  of  the  Byzantine  empire  till 
the  latter  part  of  the  ninth  century,  when  it  was 
wrested  from  the  Emperor  Michael  by  the  Saracens. 
It  remained  in  their  hands  till  the  eleventh  century, 
when  the  Normans  under  Koger  Guiscard  drove  out 
the  Saracens.  Roger  Guiscard  was  son  of  the  cele- 
brated Norman  Count,  Tancred  ;  it  took  him  many 
years  of  hard  fighting  to  establish  his  sovereignty  over 

^  On  Marie  Am61ie's  grandson,  Prince  Ferdinando  of  Bulgaria, 
the  eyes  of  Europe  have  lately  turned,  since  he  has  assured  the  in- 
dependence of  his  dominions  and  assumed  the  title  of  Tsar. 

2  Messina  had  been  the  starting-point  for  the  Crusades.  In 
1189  Richard  I.,  Cour  de  Lion,  and  Philippe  Augustus  of  France, 
wintered  there,  and  he  then  and  there  wooed  and  wedded  his  wife, 


Berengaria  of  Navarre. 


16 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

the  richest  island  in  the  Mediterranean.  He  became 
the  father  of  a  line  of  kings,  but  the  Saracens  were 
maintained  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  religion  and 
property  and  retained  a  preponderating  influence 
during  the  reign  of  Roger's  son  and  grandson,  who 
adopted  many  of  their  customs,  and  the  islanders  long 
retained  a  tincture  of  orientalism  in  their  habits. 

In  1198  Frederick  II.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  drove 
out  the  Normans,  and  his  descendants  ruled  in  Sicily 
till  they  in  turn  were  driven  out  by  Charles  of  Anjou, 
brother  of  Louis  IX.  of  France,  who  was  crowned 
king  in  1266. 

In  1275  Pedro  of  Aragon,  who  had  married  the 
daughter  of  Manfred,  one  of  the  Austrian  line  of 
Sicilian  kings,  laid  claim  to  the  kingdom,  and  in- 
stigated by  him  the  terrible  massacre  of  the  French, 
known  as  the  Sicilian  Vespers,  took  place  at  Palermo 
in  1282.  It  was  excited  by  a  French  soldier  insulting 
a  young  Sicilian  bride,  who,  accompanied  by  her 
relatives,  was  on  her  way  to  church  for  the  wedding 
ceremony.  The  indignation  of  the  spectators  soon 
spread  through  the  city.  At  the  time  the  bells  of 
the  churches  were  ringing  for  vespers,  the  people 
answered  by  the  cry :  "To  arms !  Death  to  the 
French ! "  The  French  wherever  found  were  mas- 
sacred ;  in  a  few  hours  more  than  4,000  met  their 
death.  Every  town  in  Sicily  followed  the  example 
of  Palermo  and  the  French  tyranny  was  overthrown. 
The  Kingdom  of  Sicily  was  separated  from  that  of 
Naples ;  Pedro  of  Aragon  obtained  the  crown  of  the 
former,  and  Charles  of  Anjou  the  dominions  on  the 

17  2 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

mainland,  then  called  the  Kingdom  of  Naples.  From 
this  time  onwards,  up  till  1503,  there  were  incessant 
wars  between  the  House  of  Aragon  in  Sicily  and  the 
House  of  Anjou  in  Naples.  In  that  year  the  Span- 
ish armies  completely  routed  the  French,  peace  was 
made  between  France  and  Spain,  and  the  two  King- 
doms of  Sicily  were  united  under  the  Spanish  king, 
Ferdinando  III, 

The  continental  portion  of  the  Kingdom  of  the 
Two  Sicilies  was  thereafter  not  called  the  Kingdom 
of  Naples — it  was  known  as  "  Sicily  on  this  side  of 
the  Pharos  "  (referring  to  the  lighthouse  at  Messina) 
and  the  island  portion  was  called  :  **  Sicily  beyond  the 
Pharos  ". 

In  1516  King  Ferdinando  died  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  grandson,  Charles  V.,  Emperor  of  Germany, 
and  Sicily  became  part  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire. 
When  his  son  Philip  married  the  English  Princess 
Mary  Tudor,  Charles  gave  him  the  title  of  King  of 
Naples.  When  Philip  succeeded  his  father,  Sicily 
became  merely  a  Spanish  Province,  and  remained  so 
till  the  year  1700,  when  Philip,  Due  d' Anjou,  grand- 
son of  Louis  XIV.  of  France,  succeeded  to  the  throne 
of  Spain.  The  Two  Sicilies  acknowledged  him,  but 
his  ascent  of  the  Spanish  throne  was  the  signal  for 
the  thirteen  years  of  European  warfare  known  as  the 
War  of  the  Spanish  Succession,  during  which  Austria, 
in  alliance  with  other  powers,  disputed  his  claim. 

This  war  was  ended  bv  the  Peace  of  Utrecht, 
1713,  when  the  Archduke  Charles  of  Austria  received 
the  dominions   of  Sicily  "this   side   the  Pharos,"  of 

18 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

which  Naples  was  the  capital,  and  to  the  Duke   of 
Savoy  was  given  the  island  of  Sicily. 

In  1733  Philip  V.  of  Spain  entered  into  a  league 
with  France  and  Sardinia  to  drive  the  Austrians  from 
Italy,  on  condition  that  the  Kingdom  of  the  Two  Sici- 
lies should  be  given  to  his  younger  son  Charles,  Duke 
of  Parma.  This  war  was  ended  by  the  Treaty  of 
Vienna,  1735,  by  which  Charles  gave  up  the  Duchy 
of  Parma  and  received  the  crown  of  the  Two  Sicilies. 

This  was  the  commencement  of  the  Bourbon 
Dynasty  in  Sicily,  though  it  might  be  called  a  return 
to  the  old  Angevin  Dynasty,  for  the  House  of  Anjou 
had  reigned  in  Sicily  till  1503,  and  now  after  a  lapse 
of  250  years  a  son  of  a  Due  d'Anjou  (who  had  become 
Philip  of  Spain)  was  again  King  of  Sicily. 

By  the  Treaty  of  Vienna  it  was  settled  that  the 
Crowns  of  Spain  and  Sicily  should  never  be  worn  by 
one  head  ;  so  when,  by  the  death  of  his  elder  brother 
Ferdinando  VI.  without  children,  Charles  succeeded 
to  the  Crown  of  Spain,  he  was  obliged  to  give  up 
Sicily  to  his  third  son  Ferdinando,  for  the  eldest  son 
was  imbecile,  and  the  second  now  became  heir-pre- 
sumptive of  Spain. 

The  Sicilians  had  become  strongly  attached  to 
Charles  who  had  been  Charles  VII.  of  Sicily,  and 
now  became  Charles  III.  of  Spain.  He  was  the  son 
of  Elizabeth  Farnese,  second  wife  of  Philip  V.  of 
Spain,  and  had  inherited  much  of  her  intellectual 
power  together  with  the  asceticism  of  his  father. 

The  Spanish  Bourbons,  unlike  their  French  re- 
latives, were  remarkable  for  their  austere  lives  and 

19 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

elevated  characters.  Charles  III.  was  entirely  devoted 
to  his  beautiful  wife  Elizabeth  of  Saxony,  and  during 
a  long  widowhood  remained  absolutely  faithful  to  her 
memory.  Under  his  rule  the  people  of  Spain  enjoyed 
a  period  of  prosperity  to  which  they  had  long  been 
strangers  ;  they  named  him  Charles  the  Good. 

The  historian  Hume  calls  him  the  only  really  great 
and  patriotic  king  that  Providence  vouchsafed  to 
Spain  in  modern  times.  Much  is  told  also  of  his 
lovableness  in  private  life.  On  his  death-bed,  asked 
if  he  forgave  his  enemies,  he  said  :  "  Why  should  I 
wait  till  now  ?  They  were  forgiven  the  moment  after 
the  offence."  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  his  son  Ferdin- 
ando  IV.,  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies,  inherited  neither 
his  intellectual  powers  nor  his  other  fine  qualities. 
When  his  father  was  called  to  the  Spanish  throne 
Ferdinando  was  only  nine  years  old,  and  a  Council  of 
Regency  was  appointed  to  govern  in  his  name,  of 
whom  the  Minister  Tanucci  was  the  leading  spirit 
though  Charles  continued  to  exercise  a  decisive  in- 
fluence over  the  Sicilian  Government  during  his  son's 
minority.  Insanity  was  hereditary  in  the  family  of 
the  Spanish  Bourbons,  and  Charles  III.  (whose  father 
and  eldest  son  had  inherited  the  curse)  was  anxious 
to  do  all  he  could  to  prevent  its  appearance  in  his 
other  children,  and  when  appointing  the  Prince  of 
San  Nicandro  as  governor  to  the  young  King  he  gave 
orders  that  Ferdinando's  brain  should  not  be  taxed  by 
too  much  study.  San  Nicandro  was  an  unfortunate 
choice,  he  was  destitute  of  ability  or  knowledge  and 
his  young  charge  grew  up  in   colossal  ignorance   of 

20 


King  Ferdinando  TV  at  his  Accession 


To  face  i).  20 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAllIE  AMELIE 

everything  but  outdoor  sports,  and  caring  only  for  low 
company  and  contemptible  amusements.  In  early 
life  he  was  good-natured  and  easy-going,  but  in 
after  life  the  hereditary  curse  of  his  family  showed 
itself  in  acts  of  ferocity  and  tyranny,  which  have 
rendered  his  name  odious  to  posterity. 

Tanucci,  the  Prime  Minister,  being  anxious  to 
keep  the  power  as  long  as  possible  in  his  own  hands, 
was  not  displeased  to  see  the  young  King  such  as 
he  was.  When  he  was  sixteen  years  old  it  became 
necessary  to  think  of  marrying  him.  In  those  days 
immense  importance  was  attached  to  matrimonial 
alliances,  and  the  great  Empress  Maria  Theresa  had 
long  ago  decided,  and  entered  into  an  agreement  with 
the  King  of  Spain,  that  one  of  her  daughters  should 
be  betrothed  to  the  young  King  of  Sicily.  The  fifth 
daughter,  the  Archduchess  Josepha,  was  chosen,  a 
costly  trousseau  was  prepared,  and  everything  was 
ready  for  the  departure  of  the  young  Archduchess  to 
her  future  husband's  kingdom,  where  the  marriage  was 
to  be  celebrated.  Before  starting  she  had  to  visit  the 
tomb  of  her  father,  the  late  Emperor  Francis,  in  the 
vaults  of  the  Capuchin  Church  at  Vienna — this  was  a 
ceremony  insisted  on  by  the  Empress.  The  bier  of 
Josepha's  sister-in-law,  the  young  Empress,  who  had 
died  four  months  before  of  virulent  small-pox,  was 
also  in  the  vault.  Soon  after  she  returned  to  the 
palace  the  young  Archduchess  complained  of  feeling 
ill  ;  next  day  small-pox  declared  itself,  and  of  this  fell 
disease  she  died  on  15th  October,  1767,  the  very  day 
on  which  she  was  to  have  started  for  Sicily. 

21 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  King  of  Spain  was  very  anxious  for  the  Aus- 
trian alliance,  and  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  Josepha's 
death  he  wrote  to  the  Empress  proposing  that  another 
of  her  daughters  should  become  Queen  of  Sicily. 

The  seventh  daughter,  Maria  Carolina  Charlotte, 
was  now  selected  by  the  Empress  as  a  wife  for  Fer- 
dinando.  She  was  of  a  suitable  age,  being  at  this 
time  fifteen  years  old,  a  year  and  some  months  younger 
than  Ferdinando.  About  this  time  her  mother  wrote 
her  the  following  letter  of  advice  :  "  You  are  now  fif- 
teen years  old  and  I  do  not  intend  to  treat  you  any 
longer  as  a  child  ;  if  you  make  a  good  use  of  the 
talents  with  which  God  has  so  richly  endowed  you, 
you  will  earn  the  approbation  of  your  family  and  the 
world  in  general.  But  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  you 
say  your  prayers  carelessly  and  without  reverence. 
Do  not  be  surprised  if  after  such  a  beginning  of  the 
day  nothing  goes  well.  You  must  treat  your  house- 
hold with  gentleness,  else  you  will  never  be  esteemed, 
much  less  loved.  You  must  work  hard  at  your  music, 
drawing,  history,  geography,  Latin  and  other  studies. 
If  you  will  take  my  advice,  which  comes  from  a 
heart  filled  with  love  for  my  children  and  desiring  their 
happiness,  you  will  realise  that  the  only  path  to  follow 
is  that  of  virtue.  With  God's  help  one  can  do  much, 
but  in  order  to  obtain  it  one  must  lead  an  innocent 
life." 

And  yet  the  Empress  did  not  shrink  from  sending 
this  young  maiden  unprotected  to  rule  over  a  corrupt 
southern  Court  and  to  become  the  wife  of  a  vicious  un- 
educated boy  of  low  tastes,  and  uncontrolled  passions, 

22 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

whose  conversation,  ideas  and  habits  must  have  been 
equally  surprising  and  shocking  to  her. 

Maria  Carolina  had  heard  enough  about  Ferdi- 
nando  to  have  no  wish  to  become  his  wife  ;  she  re- 
monstrated, cried,  entreated,  but  it  was  all  of  no 
avail. 

To  Naples  she  had  to  go,  after  having  first  been 
married  by  proxy  in  Vienna  on  17th  April,  1768. 

The  Empress  had  said  of  Maria  Carolina  :  '*  Of  all 
my  daughters  she  is  the  one  who  resembles  me  most ". 
She  felt  that  if  all  was  to  go  well  at  Naples  Maria 
Carolina  must  rule  both  her  husband  and  the  king- 
dom, and  she  perceived  in  her  the  capacity  to  do  both. 
She  impressed  on  the  young  girl  that  if  she  could  not 
love  her  husband  she  must  on  no  account  let  him  per- 
ceive it,  but  act  as  if  she  were  devoted  to  him  and  in 
this  way  establish  her  influence.  A  few  weeks  after 
her  marriage,  which  took  place  at  Caserta  on  13th 
May,  1768,  the  young  bride  in  writing  to  her  old 
governess  describes  the  early  days  of  her  married  life 
as  "  a  martyrdom,  all  the  worse  because  one  has  to  ap- 
pear pleased.  If  religion  had  not  said  to  me  *  think 
of  God,'  I  would  have  killed  myself.  I  was  in  de- 
spair." Yet  she  learned  to  tolerate  her  husband  and 
even  to  feel  affection  for  him,  and  she  certainly  ob- 
tained unbounded  influence  over  him.  He  fell  deeply 
in  love  with  his  young  wife,  who  was  tall,  slight  and 
very  handsome.  Her  brother,  the  Emperor  Leopold, 
went  to  visit  her  after  she  had  been  married  two 
years  and  reported  to  their  mother  as  follows  :  "  She 
has  good  inclinations,  remarkable  truthfulness,  much 

23 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

cleverness  and  penetration.  She  is  not  the  least 
bit  of  a  flirt,  and  is  always  simply  dressed.  She  is 
unaffectedly  religious,  saying  her  prayers,  attending 
mass  and  reading  books  of  devotion  daily.  Her 
rooms  are  well  arranged  and  neatly  kept." 

The  young  Queen's  salon  was  soon  frequented, 
not  only  by  nobles  and  courtiers  but  by  all  the  most 
learned  and  intellectual  people,  old  and  young,  in 
Naples,  and  into  their  discussions  she  entered  with 
enthusiasm.  She  also  interested  herself  with  schemes 
for  reduction  of  taxes,  reclaiming  waste  lands,  plant- 
ing colonies  on  uninhabited  islands,  establishing 
schools,  botanical  gardens  and  museums,  libraries, 
and  improving  universities.  Maria  Carolina  was  the 
only  one  of  the  great  Empress's  daughters  who  in- 
herited her  governing  instinct  and  strength  of  charac- 
ter. The  young  King  amused  himself,  and  left  all 
business  to  his  Minister  Tanucci ;  but  after  a  few 
years  Maria  Carolina  gained  the  ascendency  and  ruled 
with  absolute  authority. 

So  many  different  races,  Greeks,  Frenchmen,  Ger- 
mans, Spaniards,  Saracens,  had  disputed  the  posses- 
sion of  Sicily  and  left  their  traces  among  its  inhabitants, 
that  Sicilians  could  not  be  called  a  nation,  though  the 
various  conquerors  formed  the  two  Sicilies  into  a 
kingdom.  In  the  end  the  Latin  element  triumphed 
over  the  others,  Norman,  French  and  Arabic  died  out 
and  the  speech  of  Lombardy  became  the  dialect  of  the 
Sicilians.  But  a  population  descended  from  such  a 
mixture  of  races  and  composed  of  such  heterogeneous 
elements   could   not   fail   to  be   difficult  to  govern. 

24 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Tanucci  had  governed  as  if  Sicily  were  a  province  of 
Spain,  but  the  Queen  overthrew  the  Spanish  influence. 
It  had  been  one  of  the  clauses  in  her  marriage  con- 
tract that  after  the  Queen  of  the  Two  Sicilies  had  borne 
an  heir  to  the  throne  she  should  have  the  right  to  sit 
in  Councils  of  State  and  vote.  Tanucci  opposed  this, 
and  Maria  Carolina  never  rested  till  she  had  brought 
about  his  dismissal. 

The  military  forces  of  the  kingdom  had  dwindled 
away  through  neglect,  and  the  Queen  turned  her  atten- 
tion to  improving  them  and  also  took  steps  to  create  a 
navy  to  protect  the  coasts  from  the  Corsairs  of  Barbary 
and  from  European  enemies,  especially  the  French. 
She  obtained  from  her  brother  the  services  of  Acton, 
an  Englishman  who  had  organised  the  Tuscan  marine, 
a  most  able  man  under  whose  supervision  the  Sicilian 
army  and  navy  were  increased  and  made  efficient. 

Maria  Carolina  had  been  brought  up  to  believe 
in  the  Divine  Eight  of  Kings  over  their  people,  and  in 
the  responsibility  of  the  Rulers  to  God  for  the  welfare 
of  the  people  committed  to  their  charge,  and  many  of 
her  most  trusted  friends  were  imbued  with  the  new 
ideas  of  the  Rights  of  Man  and  inspired  her  with  an 
ardent  desire  to  improve  the  moral  and  material  con- 
dition of  her  subjects,  though  she  did  not  dream  of 
giving  them  a  voice  in  the  conduct  of  affairs. 

In  no  part  of  Italy  were  the  laws  worse  or  more 
oppressive,  and  the  privileges  of  the  nobles  more  a 
menace  to  Crown  and  people,  the  taxes  more  heavy 
than  in  Sicily.  To  redress  all  grievances  would  have 
been  a  task  beyond  the  powers  of  the  wisest  and  most 

25 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

experienced  statesmen,  and  certainly  a  young  inex- 
perienced woman  could  not  compass  it ;  but  Maria 
Carolina  did  what  she  could.  Ferdinando,  her  hus- 
band, had  an  unbounded  admiration  for  her  abilities, 
and  soon  got  into  the  habit  of  saying,  when  applied  to 
for  his  opinion  on  aififairs  of  State  :  "  Ask  my  wife, 
she  knows  everything  !  " 

A  strong  revolutionary  party  existed  in  Naples, 
and  when  the  Queen  saw  what  views  such  as  theirs 
had  led  to  in  France  and  that  the  high-minded  pioneers 
of  the  movement  were  swamped  by  their  followers,  to 
the  mass  of  whom  Liberty,  Equality  and  Fraternity 
meant  getting  possession  of  other  people's  property 
and  an  unrestrained  course  of  violence,  lust  and 
murder,  she  set  her  face  against  it  and  organised  a 
secret  police  to  keep  her  acquainted  with  the  plans  of 
the  Revolutionary  Party.  She  carried  on  preparations 
for  war  which  seemed  inevitable  when  Sicily  refused 
to  accept  an  ambassador  from  the  French  Convention. 
In  1792  a  French  squadron  appeared  in  the  Bay  of 
Naples,  and  the  Queen  arranged  a  coup  d'etat  by  which 
all  those  who  were  engaged  in  conspiracy,  or  carrying 
on  treasonable  negotiations  with  France,  were  seized 
in  one  night  and  carried  to  the  underground  fortress 
at  St.  Elmo  to  await  trial. 

Were  the  Queen  and  Government  to  blame  for 
protecting  themselves  and  the  loyal  portion  of  their 
subjects  from  those  who  were  preparing  to  attack 
and  destroy  them  ? 

For  this  action  Maria  Carolina  has  been  loaded 
with  abuse  by  some  writers.     Indeed,  no  queen  of 

26 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

modern  times  has  been  more  vilified,  or  has  had 
more  aspersions  cast  upon  her  character,  her  pubHc 
action,  and  private  Hfe  than  has  Maria  Carolina.  A 
careful  examination  of  the  accusations  made  against 
her  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  for  the  most  part  they 
are  not  proven,  and  that  her  reputation  as  a  faithful 
wife  and  virtuous  woman  is  intact. 

She  was  one  of  Napoleon's  most  active  enemies, 
and  in  order  to  destroy  her  influence  at  Naples,  where 
he  supplanted  her  on  the  throne  first  by  his  brother 
Joseph  and  then  by  his  sister  Carolina  Murat,  he 
encouraged  the  circulation  of  calumnies  about  her, 
in  the  same  way  and  for  the  same  purpose  as  he  had 
done  in  the  case  of  the  saintly  Queen  Louisa  of  Prus- 
sia. Many  of  the  accusations  of  immoral  conduct 
published  concerning  her  were  at  a  time  when  she 
was  a  white-haired  woman,  bowed  down  with  sorrow, 
broken  in  health,  partially  paralysed,  and  in  circum- 
stances which  made  such  conduct  physically  and 
morally  impossible.  Maria  Carolina  was  high-spirited 
and  ambitious  and  made  political  mistakes,  but  she 
was  not  an  immoral  woman.  In  her  youth  she  was 
very  beautiful,  and  had  a  keen  appetite  for  the  enjoy- 
ments suited  to  her  high  position.  Her  husband  was 
an  illiterate  boor,  and  notoriously  unfaithful  to  his 
marriage  vows,  always  occupied  with  some  low  amour  ; 
and  doubtless  Maria  Carolina  took  pleasure  in  the 
society  of  clever,  intellectual  men,  and  the  admiration 
they  could  not  have  failed  to  show  for  her ;  but  a  woman 
who  worked  so  hard  as  she  did  at  the  planning  and 
execution  of  schemes  for  the  welfare  of  her  people  and 

27 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

their  higher  interests,  who  was  so  much  occupied  with 
the  care  of,  and  education  of  her  numerous  children, 
who  was  so  steadily  kind  and  considerate  to  the  poor 
and  ignorant,  so  strict  in  religious  observances,  so 
royally  generous  to  friends  and  servants,  so  beloved 
and  respected  by  her  sons  and  daughters,  could  not 
have  been  other  than  a  high-minded,  conscientious 
woman.^ 

In  spite  of  his  gross  life  and  neglect  of  all  duties, 
many  writers  speak  well  of  Ferdinando,  and  although 
the  Queen  was  absent  in  Austria  or  the  island  of 
Sicily  when  Ferdinando  took  vengeance  on  his  dis- 
loyal subjects  by  the  perpetration  of  cruelties  that 
can  only  be  described  as  horrible,  yet  these  horrors 
have  generally,  though  most  unjustly,  been  attributed 
to  Maria  Carolina.  In  general,  Ferdinando  was  good- 
natured  and  easy-going,  but  when  his  passions  were 
aroused  he  displayed  a  violent,  cruel  and  remorseless 
nature,  and  after  the  Queen's  death  he  developed 
ferocious  instincts  and  became  a  cruel,  tyrannical  ruler. 

^  A  most  interesting  and  comprehensive  account  of  Maria 
Carolina  has  been  written  by  Mrs.  Bearne  under  the  title  of 
A  Sister  to  Marie  Antoinette  (Fisher  Unwin). 


28 


CHAPTER   11. 

Marie  Am^lie's  Home  at  Naples — Her  Childhood — Betrothed  to 
Marie  Antoinette's  Son  the  Dauphin — His  Death — Her  Girl- 
hood— Her  Brothers  and  Sisters — Lord  Nelson  at  the  Court  of 
Naples — Arrival  of  French  Army — Flight  of  Koyal  Family 
from  Naples. 

A  FAMOUS  educationist  said  :  "  Give  me  the  first  seven 
years  of  a  child's  life,  that  is  enough  to  colour  the 
whole  ".  Without  giving  some  account  of  her  father 
-and  mother  and  her  native  land  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  realise  the  upbringing  that  made  Marie 
Am^lie  what  she  afterwards  became,  which  must  be 
my  apology  to  those  readers  who  may  have  thought 
the  preceding  chapter  tedious  or  superfluous. 

Her  father  and  mother  had  eighteen  children. 

Marie  Am61ie  Th6rese  de  Bourbon  was  the  fourth 
daughter  (the  first  child  born  to  the  Queen  of  Sicily 
after  the  death  of  her  mother  the  Empress  Marie 
Theresa).^  She  was  born  at  Caserta  in  1782  when  her 
parents  were  at  the  height  of  prosperity. 

Caserta  was  an  enchanting  place,  acknowledged  to 
be  the  most  beautiful  royal  residence  in  Europe.     No 

1  Marie  Amelie's  sisters  who  lived  to  grow  up  became,  one  Em- 
press of  Austria,  another  Grand-duchess  of  Tuscany,  another  Queen 
of  Sardinia,  and  the  youngest  married  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias, 
and  had  she  lived  would  have  become  Queen  of  Spain. 

29 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

other  palace  could  equal  its  vast  extent,  its  spacious 
lofty  halls  and  corridors,  its  marble-floored  salons, 
cool  and  delightful  in  the  burning  midsummer  heat. 
It  was  surrounded  by  green  woods  ;  the  gardens  were 
beautifully  laid  out  and  ornamented  with  statues  and 
embellished  with  cascades  and  fountains.  In  one 
part  of  the  grounds  Queen  Maria  Carolina  had  made 
what  she  called  an  English  garden. 

The  Palace  of  Caserta  was  built  by  Ferdinando's 
father,  who  also  erected  the  Palace  of  Portici,  the 
hospital,  and  made  the  roads  to  Bovino  and  Evoli,  the 
aqueduct,  and  began  the  excavations  of  Pompeii  and 
Herculaneum.  The  scenery  around  Caserta  is  ex- 
quisite, the  view  from  St.  Elmo  matchless.  The 
Neapolitan  proverb,  "  see  Naples  and  die,"  has  been 
bettered  by  an  English  traveller,  who  says  :  "  After 
living  at  Naples  it  is  impossible  not  to  wish  to  live 
that  one  may  return  to  it ". 

In  these  lovely  and  splendid  surroundings  Marie 
Amelie  passed  her  early  years.  At  her  birth  she  was 
so  delicate  that  she  had  to  be  wrapped  in  cotton  wool, 
but  she  gradually  outgrew  this  delicacy  of  health,  and 
she  very  early  gave  proofs  of  remarkable  intelligence, 
when,  at  two  years  and  a  half  old,  she  began  to  read. 
This  precocity  was  a  source  of  great  interest  to  her 
grandfather.  King  Charles  of  Spain.  The  old  priest 
who  taught  her  the  catechism  was  equally  pleased  and 
delighted  with  the  ease  with  which  she  learned  her 
lessons  and  comprehended  his  instructions  in  religion. 
He  used  to  call  her  "  Fata  Mia  ".  She  never  saw  her 
grandmother,  the  great  Empress  of  Austria,  for  Maria 

30 


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THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Theresa  had  died  before  this  grandchild's  birth,  her 
death  being  the  signal  for  an  outburst  of  praise  and 
veneration  throughout  Europe.  Frederick  the  Great 
said  :  "  She  was  an  honour  to  her  sex  and  to  the 
throne.  I  made  war  on  her,  but  was  never  her  enemy. 
I  mourn  her  death  with  sincerity." 

The  Queen  of  Naples  endeavoured  to  carry  out 
the  tradition  she  had  inherited  from  her  celebrated 
mother  and  bestowed  much  time  and  thought  on  the 
education  of  her  childen. 

Marie  Amc^lie,  immediately  after  her  birth,  was 
confided  to  the  care  of  an  excellent  governess,  as  was 
customary  with  all  royal  children  at  that  time ;  and 
on  the  governess  rested  the  chief  responsibility  for  the 
care  of  the  child  in  infancy,  her  subsequent  education, 
and  the  formation  of  her  manners  and  character. 

The  choice  made  for  Marie  Amelie  was  a  most 
fortunate  one.  Donna  Vicenza  Rizzi  was  the  widow 
of  Don  Bernardo  Ambrozio,  a  distinguished  Nea- 
politan lawyer.  Signora  Ambrozio  was  a  refined, 
high-minded  woman,  whose  good  example  and  wise 
counsels  were  most  beneficial  to  the  young  princess, 
who  respected  and  loved  her  all  her  life. 

Although  it  was  necessary  to  put  them  in  charge 
of  governesses  yet  Maria  Carolina  desired  to  obtain  a 
lasting  influence  over  her  daughters  and  their  entire 
confidence,  and  in  the  midst  of  all  the  cares  of  State 
never  allowed  a  day  to  pass  without  their  spending  an 
hour  with  her,  when  she  made  stringent  inquiries  as 
to  their  progress  in  their  studies  and  administered 
very  salutary  advice. 

31 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Her  eldest  daughter  was  the  Queen's  prime  fa- 
vourite, and  when  she  married  her  cousin,  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  and  went  to  live  at  Vienna,  the  third 
daughter,  Christina  (afterwards  Queen  of  Sardinia), 
became  her  mother's  favourite.  She  was  sweet  and 
gentle,  but  completely  outshone  in  her  studies  by  her 
younger  sister,  Marie  Amelie. 

At  that  period  of  her  life  Marie  Amelie  seems  to 
have  been  treated  with  some  severity  by  her  mother, 
who  said  it  was  necessary  to  counteract  Marie  Am^lie's 
tendency  to  be  overbearing. 

The  King,  however,  made  a  special  favourite  of  his 
fourth  daughter,  and  when  she  was  old  enough  used 
to  take  her  with  him  on  the  hunting  excursions  in 
which  he  passed  most  of  his  time.  In  this  way  Marie 
Amelie  became  a  splendid  horsewoman,  and  in  spite 
of  his  failings  she  was  extremely  fond  of  her  father 
all  through  life. 

Some  of  Ferdinando's  diversions  were  far  from 
kingly.  He  sometimes  went  to  the  market  and  sold 
fish.  On  these  occasions  he  wore  a  white  cap  and 
apron,  and  used  to  hold  up  the  fish  to  auction,  in- 
dulging coarse  jests  in  the  dialect  of  the  Lazzaroni, 
who  acclaimed  him  with  delight. 

Every  year  on  the  night  of  Shrove  Tuesday  the 
Lazzaroni  had  the  right  of  free  admittance  to  the  pit  of 
the  splendid  theatre,  the  San  Carlo,  at  Naples.  The 
King  used  to  take  his  place  in  a  box  on  the  upper  tier 
attended  by  servants  carrying  huge  dishes  of  hot  mac- 
aroni dressed  with  cheese  and  oil,  of  which  he  took 
handfuls  and  threw  it  among  the  crowds  below  who 

32 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

scrambled  and  fought  to  get  it.  This  amused  Ferdi- 
nando,  who  delighted  in  all  kinds  of  buffoonery.  He 
and  the  Queen  honoured  their  subjects  by  attending 
parties  at  their  houses,  and  the  presence  of  the  sove- 
reigns was  not  considered  a  restraint,  and  instead  of 
causing  formality  added  to  the  enjoyment  of  all. 

We  hear  of  a  ball  given  by  the  Maggiordomo  at 
Portici,  to  which  many  English  visitors  were  invited. 
Among  these  were  a  Mr.  Spence  and  a  Miss  Snow, 
who  was  so  fat  that  she  was  known  as  "  Double 
Stout "  ;  this  couple,  by  their  furious  dancing,  enter- 
tained the  King  prodigiously  ;  he  roared  with  laughter, 
bravoed,  clapped  his  hands  and  encouraged  them  to 
jump  about.  Each  of  them  was  conscious  how  much 
the  other  was  laughed  at,  and  took  care  to  tell  it  to 
all  the  company,  without  suspecting  that  their  own 
figure  or  performance  could  be  the  subject  of  merri- 
ment. Mr.  Spence's  dancing  made  quite  a  conquest 
of  the  King,  who  had  him  to  play  tennis  very  fre- 
quently and  became  on  most  intimate  terms  with  him. 

Though  Ferdinando  was  profligate  and  idle  and 
despotic  when  aroused,  he  was  adored  by  the  popu- 
lace. 

His  ignorance  was  profound  ;  his  one  civilised 
taste  was  for  music.  He  played  and  sang  fairly  well, 
and  would  spend  hours  most  contentedly  singing 
duets  with  the  Queen  and  her  ladies. 

In  order  to  obtain  influence  over  him  the  Queen  in 
the  early  days  of  their  married  life  used  to  take  part 
in  all  his  diversions,  though  many  of  them  must  have 
been  most  uncongenial  to  her. 

as  3 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

For  many  years,  and  until  the  Queen's  political 
mistakes  had  ended  disastrously,  Ferdinando's  ad- 
miration for  and  deference  to  the  Queen  was  un- 
bounded. 

Their  mutual  love  for  their  children  had  drawn 
them  together  ;  the  Queen  grew  indifferent  to  his 
incessant  amours,  for  the  objects  of  his  passing  affec- 
tions were  not  women  of  a  class  likely  to  obtain 
influence  over  him  or  interfere  with  the  Queen's  plans. 
From  all  the  letters  extant  that  passed  between  her 
and  her  relations  one  gathers  the  impression  that  the 
Neapolitan  royal  family  was  an  affectionate  family  ; 
members  were  on  the  best  of  terms  with  each  other. 
They  were  surrounded  by  every  luxury  ;  the  expendi- 
ture in  the  King's  household  alone  was  600,000  ducats 
yearly.  The  Queen's  allowance  was  not  large,  and 
she  had  such  royally  generous  instincts  in  her  treat- 
ment of  all  around  her  that  the  100,000  ducats  which 
it  was  the  custom  for  the  King  to  present  to  the  Queen 
on  the  birth  of  a  son  were  a  welcome  addition  to  her 
privy  purse. 

Her  eldest  son,  the  Prince  Koyal,  was  her  third 
child  ;  he  died  of  small-pox  at  an  early  age,  and  the 
second  son,  Francesco,  born  in  1777,  became  heir  to 
the  throne  ;  his  two  younger  brothers,  Gennaro  and 
Carlo,  died  of  small-pox  ;  another  brother,  Leopold, 
born  at  a  later  date,  lived  to  grow  up.  He  received 
the  title  of  Prince  of  Salerno,  and  was  the  chief 
support  and  comfort  of  his  mother  in  later  life. 

While  King  Ferdinand  affected  the  society  of  the 
Lazzaroni,  Maria  Carolina  cultivated  the  good  graces 

34 


CO 


52 


O 
K 


X 


o 


C 


^     S 


N^ 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  the  upper  classes,  with  whom  she  was  very  popular ; 
not  only  the  nobility  and  courtiers  but  the  most  learned 
and  intellectual  men  in  Naples  paid  court  to  her. 

The  Queen  of  Sicily  was  the  favourite  sister  of 
the  unfortunate  Marie  Antoinette,  and  when  the 
latter  became  Queen  of  France  the  two  sisters  de- 
cided on  the  betrothal  of  Marie  Antoinette's  eldest 
son,  the  Dauphin,  to  his  little  cousin  of  Naples,  Marie 
Am6lie,  who  was  suitable  in  age,  being  two  years 
younger  than  the  Dauphin.  So  from  a  very  early  age 
Marie  Amelie  was  taught  to  think  of  herself  as  the 
future  Queen  of  France.  How  this  destiny  was  ful- 
filled this  book  will  show. 

Her  proposed  bridegroom  died  when  she  was 
barely  eight  years  old.  The  letters  and  memoirs  of 
the  time  give  most  touching  accounts  of  the  short 
and  melancholy  life  of  this  little  prince,  whose 
birth  had  for  so  many  years  been  eagerly  desired 
by  his  father  and  mother  and  the  French  nation. 
He  was  sadly  deformed,  and  died  of  a  wasting 
disease,  gradually  fading  away.  Like  many  children 
destined  to  an  early  death,  he  was  sensible  beyond  his 
years,  precocious  in  intelligence,  grave  and  serious  in 
demeanour,  and  of  a  charming  nature.  Many  stories 
are  told  of  his  noble,  touching  sayings.  His  spirit 
seemed  to  live  at  the  expense  of  his  body.  When  so 
weak  that  he  could  not  stand  he  was  an  insatiable  de- 
vourer  of  all  the  books  he  could  obtain.  The  Countess 
Lage  de  Volude,  who  went  to  see  him  at  Meudon  in 
company  with  Princess  de  Lamballe  on  8th  April, 
1789,  wrote  :  "  We  went  after  dinner  to  visit  the  little 

35 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Dauphin.  It  was  heartbreaking.  His  sufferings,  his 
patience,  his  intelligence  were  most  touching.  When 
we  arrived  an  attendant  was  reading  to  him.  He  had 
had  a  fancy  to  lie  on  the  billiard  table,  so  his  mattress 
had  been  placed  there.  It  struck  us  that  he  looked 
as  if  already  on  the  bed-of-state  on  which  princes  lie 
after  their  death.  Mdme.  de  Lamballe  asked  what  was 
being  read.  He  replied  :  '  A  very  interesting  period 
of  our  history,  madame  ;  there  are  many  heroes  in  it.' 

"  I  allowed  myself  to  ask  if  he  read  straight  on  or 
only  picked  out  striking  passages.  '  I  read  straight 
on,  I  do  not  know  enough  to  choose,  and  all  interest 
me,'  he  replied. 

"  He  said  to  the  Due  d'Harcourt  in  a  low  voice  : 
*I  think  this  is  the  lady  who  likes  my  map  of  the 
world,'  and  a  servant  was  ordered  to  turn  it.  I  had 
been  enchanted  with  the  perfection  of  this  immense 
machine  when  I  saw  it  on  New  Year's  Day,  but  now 
I  could  think  of  nothing  but  this  dear  and  unhappy 
child  who  was  dying  before  our  eyes." 

One  of  the  attendants  recounted  that  before  the 
Dauphin  had  been  so  dangerously  ill  a  playfellow  had 
broken  a  piece  of  china  which  the  Queen  valued. 
Afraid  of  being  scolded,  he  ran  away.  The  Dauphin 
was  accused  and  did  not  defend  himself,  so  he  was 
punished  by  being  deprived  for  three  days  of  the 
pleasure  of  going  to  Trianon.  But  on  hearing  this 
the  real  culprit  returned  and  confessed.  His  gover- 
nor expressed  astonishment  that  the  Prince  had  said 
nothing.  He  replied  :  ''  Should  I  be  the  one  to  accuse 
anybody  1 " 

36 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

On  the  4th  of  May,  lying  on  a  piled-up  heap  of 
cushions  on  a  balcony  of  the  palace,  the  heir  to  the 
throne  of  France  witnessed  the  procession  of  the 
States-General,  the  assembling  of  which  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  disasters  that  gradually  overwhelmed 
the  royal  family  of  France.  He  had  only  a  month  to 
live.  Mme.  de  Mge  wrote  :  "  The  poor  child  is  so  ill ! 
What  he  says  is  almost  incredible.  It  breaks  the 
Queen's  heart  to  hear  him.  He  shows  the  greatest 
love  for  her.  The  other  day  he  begged  her  to  dine  in 
bis  room.  Alas  !  she  swallowed  more  tears  than  any- 
thing else ! " 

In  spite  of  the  unpopularity  of  the  royal  family 
and  the  political  excitement  which  absorbed  the  city 
of  Paris,  general  sympathy  was  felt  for  the  sad  state 
of  the  royal  child.  Even  the  Revolutionary  Party 
seemed  softened,  at  least  temporarily.  Inquiries  from 
all  quarters  were  incessant,  anecdotes  of  his  pathetic 
sayings  and  the  courage  with  which  the  boy  bore  his 
sufferings  were  repeated  everywhere.  The  great  bell 
of  Notre  Dame  summoned  the  faithful  to  forty  hours' 
prayer^  on  his  behalf,  but  on  the  4th  of  June,  1789,  the 
royal  child  had  ceased  to  suffer,  and,  as  we  know,  was 
delivered  from  the  evil  to  come,  and  escaped  the  even 
worse  fate  that  befell  his  younger  brother,  the  Child 
of  the  Temple. 

Louis  XVI.,  on  hearing  that  the  Dauphin  had 
breathed  his  last,  shut  himself  up  in  his  room,  wish- 
ing to  be  alone  with  his  grief ;  but  if  the  people  felt 

1  To  appoint  forty  hours'  prayer  was  the  custom  of  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Paris  at  all  critical  times. 

37 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

sympathy,  their  representatives  showed  little  tact  in 
expressing  it.  Bailly,  at  the  head  of  a  deputation 
from  the  States-General,  demanded  in  imperious 
terms  that  the  King  should  himself  receive  from  their 
hands  an  address  of  condolence.  Louis  felt  this 
violation  of  the  privacy  of  his  days  of  mourning  very 
deeply,  and  said :  "  Are  there  no  fathers  in  the 
Assembly  ?  "  In  Naples  little  Marie  Am^lie  took  the 
death  of  her  cousin,  whom  she  had  been  taught  to 
think  of  as  her  future  husband,  greatly  to  heart.  In 
old  age  she  remembered  it  and  said  :  "  I  wept  bitterly 
for  my  little  cousin,  but  it  was  my  destiny  to  become 
Queen  of  France  at  last." 

Marie  Antoinette  had  another  son,  born  1785, 
and  the  Queen  of  Sicily  had  been  chosen  his  god- 
mother, and  was  represented  at  the  baptismal  cere- 
mony by  Mme.  Elizabeth,  sister  of  Louis  XVI., 
but  he  was  younger  than  Marie  Am^lie,  and  the  tragic 
events  soon  to  take  place  in  France  put  any  idea 
of  arranging  marriages  out  of  the  heads  of  both 
queens. 

They  were  on  the  eve  of  the  French  Revolution. 
Queen  Maria  Carolina  followed  with  horror  and  con- 
sternation the  course  of  events  in  France,  and  occupied 
herself  incessantly  with  plans  for  rescuing  her  sister 
from  the  hands  of  the  fiendish  Terrorists.  She  en- 
deavoured to  stir  up  her  vacillating  brother,  the 
Emperor  Leopold,  to  form  a  coalition  of  the  other 
European  nations  against  France  ;  but  the  unfortunate 
and  ill-judged  Louis  XVI.  signed  the  French  Con- 
stitution, secured  a   semblance  of   liberty,  and  sent 

38 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

circulars  to  the  Powers  to  stop  the  movements  of  the 
armies  collected  to  deliver  him. 

When  the  fearful  news  of  the  execution  of  Marie 
Antoinette  reached  Naples,  the  Queen  was  over- 
whelmed with  grief  and  horror.  She  made  the  news 
known  to  her  children  in  an  impressive  manner,  sum- 
moning them  all  to  the  palace  chapel,  where  the 
solemn  prayers  for  the  dead  were  recited,  and  they 
were  awestruck  as  they  saw  their  mother  kneeling 
with  bowed  head  before  the  altar  making  inter- 
cessions for  her  sister's  soul.  These  solemn  scenes 
left  a  profound  impression  on  the  mind  of  Princess 
Marie  Am^lie.  About  this  time  she  made  her  first 
communion,  and  that  important  event  in  the  life  of  a 
young  and  fervid  Catholic  seems  to  have  altered  her 
tastes  and  disposition  ;  she  cared  less  for  amusements, 
more  for  study  and  above  all  for  religion,  showing  the 
germs  of  that  saintly  and  noble  character  so  fully 
developed  in  after  years. 

The  King  and  Queen  of  Sicily  refused  to  accept 
an  ambassador  from  the  French  Convention  and  war 
with  France  seemed  inevitable.  Every  possible  pre- 
paration was  made  in  Sicily,  but  the  exposed  position 
of  Naples,  with  its  palaces  and  public  buildings  and 
government  offices  right  on  the  sea-shore,  made  it 
appear  an  easy  task  for  a  French  jfleet  to  bombard  it. 
In  December,  1792,  a  French  squadron  appeared  in 
the  Bay  of  Naples — powerless  to  resist,  the  Sicilian 
Government  agreed  to  disavow  any  intention  of  offer- 
ing insult  to  France  in  the  person  of  her  ambassador, 
for  the  French  Republic  had  emissaries  at  Naples, 

39 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

who  were  spreading  revolutionary  doctrines,  and  they 
had  a  large  following. 

The  Sicilian  Government  was  only  temporising. 
As  soon  as  possible  an  alliance  was  entered  into  with 
England  in  order  to  obtain  command  of  the  Medi- 
terranean and  the  protection  of  Naples  against  pirates 
as  well  as  against  the  French  fleet.  Lord  Nelson 
was  sent  to  Naples,  where  he  was  received  as  a  hero 
and  tremendously  feted  by  Court  and  people.  When- 
ever the  English  sailors  passed  through  the  streets 
they  were  acclaimed  by  the  people  who  crowded  to 
see  them.  Lord  Nelson  was  received  at  Court  almost 
as  if  he  had  been  a  royal  visitor,  and  sat  on  the  King's 
right  hand.  He  had  after  a  while  to  go  to  Egypt, 
where  he  burned,  sank  or  otherwise  destroyed  Napo- 
leon's fleet  at  Aboukir.  He  then  returned  to  Naples 
and  was  in  Sicilian  waters  on  and  off  for  five  years. 
Whenever  he  was  at  Naples  he  was  a  constant  visitor 
at  the  palace,  and  was  a  familiar  figure  throughout 
Marie  Am^lie's  early  life. 

The  celebrated  Emma  Hamilton  was  on  intimate 
terms  with  the  King  and  Queen  of  Naples.  While 
she  was  occupying  an  equivocal  position  in  the  house- 
hold of  the  English  ambassador.  Sir  William  Hamil- 
ton, the  Queen  did  not  receive  her,  but  as  soon  as 
their  marriage  was  announced  she  did  so,  and  Lady 
Hamilton's  tact  and  discretion  soon  made  her  a  great 
favourite  at  Court.  At  Naples  Lady  Hamilton's 
house  was  the  resort  of  the  best  people  of  all  nation- 
alities and  of  many  English  visitors  of  high  rank  and 
irreproachable  reputation  ;  Lord  Nelson's  attentions 

40 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

to  her  as  wife  of  the  English  Ambassador  seemed 
natural  and  did  not  excite  comment.  The  Queen 
used  Emma  Hamilton's  inHuence  for  her  own  ends 
and  liked  her  personally.  The  King  of  Naples  also 
liked  her  and  used  to  sing  duets  with  her  for  hours 
at  a  time.  Of  his  singing  Emma  said  :  "  It  was  but 
bad,  he  sings  like  a  king  ". 

She  might  have  been  laughing  and  talking  in  the 
Queen's  apartments  all  the  afternoon,  but  at  a  public 
reception  in  the  evening  Emma  would  keep  her  dis- 
tance, and  treated  the  Queen  with  punctilious  respect 
as  if  she  had  never  seen  her  in  private.  This  pleased 
Maria  Carolina  mightily,  and  she  would  make  a  point 
of  distinguishing  Lady  Hamilton. 

After  the  battle  of  Aboukir,  the  Queen  wrote  to 
her  :  "  Hip  !  hip  !  my  dear  lady.  I  am  wild  with  joy. 
What  a  pleasure  it  will  be  to  greet  our  hero  !  " 

The  King  was  at  dinner  with  the  Queen  and  the 
Princes  and  Princesses  when  the  news  of  the  victory 
was  brought  to  him.  He  started  up  and  embraced 
his  wife  and  daughters,  exclaiming :  "  Oh,  my  chil- 
dren, you  are  now  safe  !  " 

Naples  went  wild  with  joy  when,  three  weeks 
later,  Nelson  and  the  victorious  English  squadron 
arrived  in  the  bay.  The  royal  barge  with  the  King, 
accompanied  by  a  brilliant  retinue  and  his  musicians, 
went  first ;  then  came  the  British  Minister  and  Lady 
Hamilton  rowed  by  liveried  boatmen,  followed  by  a 
long  train  of  boats  and  barges  going  forth  to  meet 
the  victorious  admiral,  whom  the  King  styled  "De- 
liverer" and  "Preserver". 

41 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

At  the  banquet  on  board  the  Vanguard  much 
notice  was  taken  of  a  small  bird  that  hopped  about 
on  the  table  between  the  plates.  It  had  come  on 
board  the  evening  before  the  battle  of  Aboukir  and 
was  looked  upon  as  bringing  good  luck.  The  King 
gave  Nelson  the  estate  of  Bront6,  near  Mount  Etna ; 
it  is  a  dukedom,  and  the  income  was  valued  at  £2,000 
annually.  He  also  gave  him  a  sword  set  with  dia- 
monds which  had  belonged  to  his  father,  saying 
Naples  had  been  conquered  with  it  and  it  ought  to 
belong  to  Lord  Nelson,  who  had  saved  the  king- 
dom. Nelson  was  looked  upon  as  a  kind  of  patron 
saint  by  the  royal  children.  Marie  Am^lie's  eldest 
brother,  the  Prince  Royal,  used  to  stand  before  his 
portrait  and  say :  "  Great  Nelson,  make  me  like 
you  ". 

In  1780,  when  the  Prince  Royal  was  thirteen 
years  old,  the  King  and  Queen,  accompanied  by  all 
their  children,  went  to  Vienna  for  his  betrothal  to 
his  cousin,  the  Archduchess  Clementina,  and  for  the 
marriage  of  Marie  Am^lie's  two  eldest  sisters,  one 
to  the  heir  to  the  Austrian  Crown,  afterwards  the 
Emperor  Francis  11. ,  and  the  other  to  his  brother, 
the  Grand-duke  of  Tuscany.  After  these  ceremonies 
the  Neapolitan  royal  family  returned  to  Naples. 

To  give  an  account  of  all  the  plots  and  counter- 
plots, and  the  political  and  military  events  which 
made  the  history  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  Two  Sicilies 
during  the  reign  of  Marie  Amelie's  parents  abound 
in  tragic  scenes,  is  not  necessary,  for  she  herself  took 
no  active  part  in  them. 

42 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

But  figuratively  and  actually  it  was  life  on  the 
edge  of  a  volcano.  In  1783  a  fearful  earthquake 
devastated  Sicily  and  Calabria.  An  English  visitor 
writing  to  a  friend  said :  "In  the  course  of  one 
month  we  might  have  been  either  bombarded  by 
the  French,  smothered  by  a  mountain,  or  swallowed 
up  by  an  earthquake". 

In  spite  of  rumours  of  the  approach  of  the 
French  army  and  the  fact  of  dangerous  conspiracies 
in  its  midst,  the  Court  of  Naples  still  continued 
the  splendid  fetes  and  varied  amusements  which 
made  foreign  travellers  say  that  life  on  those  en- 
chanting shores  seemed  a  never-ending  round  of 
pleasure. 

Though  too  young  to  be  emancipated  from  her 
studies,  some  share  in  these  exciting  scenes  must 
have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  the  young  Princess  Marie 
Amt^lie.  She  and  her  sisters  would  at  all  events  be 
present  at  reviews  of  the  troops  that  the  Queen  was 
straining  every  nerve  to  raise  to  repel  Napoleon's 
army,  at  carnival  processions,  and  would  accompany 
her  mother  on  the  visits  to  the  convents  which  were 
so  much  a  part  of  the  routine  in  the  life  of  royal 
ladies  at  that  time.  All  Neapolitan  convents  were 
under  the  supervision  of  the  Queen,  who  visited  them 
in  turn  yearly,  and  took  a  numerous  suite  to  partake 
of  the  splendid  entertainments  given  by  the  nuns. 
On  one  occasion  the  royal  party  was  surprised  to  find 
a  table  covered  with  meats,  hams,  fowls,  fish  and 
other  substantial  dishes,  although  it  was  in  the  after- 
noon.     However,  they  seated   themselves,   and   the 

43 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

nuns  stood  behind  to  serve  them.  The  Queen  chose 
a  piece  of  cold  turkey,  which  on  being  cut  up  proved 
to  be  a  deHcious  lemon  ice  in  the  shape  of  a  turkey  ; 
all  the  other  dishes  were  ices  disguised  as  fish,  flesh 
or  fowl. 

Many  of  the  convents  were  very  rich.  Ladies 
of  rank  would  rather  their  daughters  married,  for 
it  cost  more  to  make  them  nuns.  The  ceremonies 
that  took  place  when  a  young  lady  made  her  pro- 
fession were  very  costly — £1,000  hardly  covered  the 
expense — and  besides  there  had  to  be  a  pension  for 
the  nun,  and  a  sum  in  reserve  in  case  she  should 
arrive  at  holding  office  in  the  convent. 

The  populace  of  Naples  were  always  very  turbulent, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  keep  a  strong  garrison  there, 
and  to  take  care  that  the  inhabitants  were  supplied 
with  food  at  a  moderate  rate,  to  keep  them  in  good 
humour.  Government  spent  large  sums  in  purchas- 
ing grain  and  selling  it  under  cost  price  to  the 
poor. 

The  remission  of  sentences  on  prisoners  on  the 
occasion  of  happy  events  at  the  palace,  such  as  the 
birth  of  a  royal  child,  helped  to  demoralise  the  people, 
for  crimes  were  followed  by  severe  and  even  barbarous 
punishments ;  if  the  sentences  were  remitted,  worse 
crimes  generally  followed.  An  endeavour  was  made 
to  improve  morals  by  marriage  laws  which  were  in- 
tended to  "  put  an  end  to  female  artifice  (!)  elope- 
ments and  unequal  alliances". 

In  spite  of  all  efforts  to  suppress  them  Republican 
opinions  were  spreading,  though  for  reading  the  works 

44 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  Voltaire  a  reader  was  liable  to  be  sent  for  three 
years  to  the  galleys. 

On  the  surface,  however,  life  at  Naples  seemed  a 
splendid  pageant.  The  King  counted  a  hundred  per- 
sons with  the  title  of  Prince,  and  a  still  greater  number 
with  that  of  Duke,  among  his  subjects.  They  all 
possessed  magnificent  equipages  drawn  by  six  or  eight 
horses,  with  richly  liveried  servants  running  in  front 
and  behind.  Their  palaces  were  immense  and  splen- 
did, the  entertainments  given  in  them  were  most 
luxurious  ;  the  tables  would  be  loaded  with  a  variety 
of  dishes,  the  fruit  and  wines  of  all  countries,  and 
there  would  be  a  servant  in  the  host's  livery  standing 
behind  the  chair  of  each  guest  to  serve  him. 

An  English  visitor  wrote  : — 

"All  ranks  seem  to  live  only  for  show  and  in 
idleness.  Expense  and  prodigality  are  at  their  height. 
The  rich  are  oppressed  with  debt  and  the  lower  orders 
spend  their  wages  before  receiving  them.  Every  day 
there  are  fireworks,  music,  religious  processions.  At 
the  parade  of  the  Ottaboni  the  Court  with  King  and 
Queen  and  Ministers  were  present  in  the  Calle  Toledo. 
The  street  was  lined  with  a  double  row  of  guards 
behind  ropes,  the  coaches  paraded  in  the  middle. 
Every  window  was  full  of  spectators  leaning  upon 
silk  or  tapestry  hangings.  The  foot  people  crowded 
so  thick  that  the  postilions  by  cracking  their  whips 
could  with  difficulty  make  room  for  the  five  cars  of 
the  Madelona,  and  the  sledges  of  the  hunters  with 
horsemen  and  hounds  attending  them  ;  the  parade  was 
closed  by  a  Bucentaur.     The  last  that  came  was  an 

45 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

English  steam-boat  manned  by  royal  cadets.  After 
these  carriages  had  passed  twice  before  their  majesties, 
the  street  was  cleared  by  the  dragoons  and  then  on 
the  firing  of  a  few  petards,  a  dozen  horses  with  fellows 
riding  bareback  came  galloping  down  the  street.  The 
prize  was  a  piece  of  tissue.  This  was  but  poor  work ; 
but  the  next  race  of  five  barbs  without  riders  was 
very  amusing.  Waiting  till  dark,  the  carriages  re- 
turned in  the  same  order  very  well  illuminated. 
The  Madelona's  stopped  opposite  the  King  and  played 
ofi"  fireworks  out  of  the  front  of  each  car.  The  illumina- 
tions of  the  Bucentaur  were  beautiful  beyond  expres- 
sion. I  never  saw  a  finer  sight.  From  thence  we  went 
to  a  ball  at  Court,  where  an  excellent  hot  supper  was 
served,  but  each  person  had  to  eat  on  his  knees  and 
in  the  best  manner  he  could.  We  were  served  with 
pies,  hams,  wines  and  fruit  in  the  greatest  profusion. 
In  the  ball-room  the  chairs  were  set  so  as  to  form  a 
square  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  the  company 
sat  facing  each  other  in  a  double  row.  The  King 
played  at  Macao,  and  soon  after  midnight  both  he  and 
the  Queen  retired,  and  shortly  afterwards  the  assembly 
broke  up,  walking  to  their  coaches  by  the  light  of 
charming  illuminations,  through  gardens  where  foun- 
tains cooled  the  air." 

Naples  was  crowded  with  French  refugees,  driven 
out  by  the  horrors  of  the  Revolution.  To  all  of  them 
the  Queen  of  Naples  showed  the  utmost  generosity, 
straining  her  resources  to  the  utmost.  To  those  who 
had  personally  known  and  enjoyed  the  favour  of  her 
beloved  sister  Marie  Antoinette,  she  extended  a  very 

46 


as 

H 

H 
|Zi 
13 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

warm  welcome,  and  they  formed  part  of  her  intimate 
society.  The  young  Princesses  liked  to  practise  talk- 
ing French  with  them,  and  were  never  tired  of  hearing 
all  that  could  be  told  of  their  French  relatives. 
Among  the  refugees  who  had  known  Queen  Marie 
Antoinette  was  the  celebrated  Mme.  Vig^e  le  Brun, 
who,  while  at  Naples,  painted  an  excellent  portrait  of 
the  Queen  as  well  as  some  other  members  of  the 
Neapolitan  royal  family.  The  Queen  paid  her  mag- 
nificently and  presented  her  with  a  beautiful  lacquer 
box  set  with  diamonds.  She  also  wished  Mme.  le 
Brun  to  remain  permanently  at  Naples  and  offered 
her  a  charming  residence  on  the  sea-shore. 

However,  the  charming  painter  had  been  sum- 
moned to  the  Court  of  Kussia  and  could  not  make 
up  her  mind  to  stay  at  Naples.  She  says  in  her 
Memoirs :  "  Though  the  scenery  is  enchanting  and  the 
air  balmy  and  delicious,  I  should  not  like  to  spend 
my  life  there.  In  my  opinion  Naples  ought  to  be 
seen  like  a  magic-lantern.  Before  one  could  feel 
comfortable  there,  one  would  have  to  get  accustomed 
to  the  terrors  inspired  by  the  volcano,  and  to  living 
in  constant  expectation  of  an  earthquake.  If  these 
drawbacks  did  not  exist,  who  would  not  wish  to  live 
in  such  a  delicious  country  ?  The  Queen  is  a  very 
highly  cultivated  woman  and  takes  the  greatest  pains 
with  the  education  of  her  daughters,  but  most  Nea- 
politan ladies  are  surprisingly  ignorant.  They  take 
no  exercise  and  their  only  occupation  is  intrigue ; 
they  are  superstitious  to  the  last  degree.  At  noon 
all   the   world  is  asleep ;  in  the   evening  till   eleven 

47 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

o'clock  the  populace  crowd  to  the  Largo  Castello  to 
saunter  about,  and  then  retire,  leaving  the  scene  clear 
for  the  people  of  quality,  who  take  possession  of  it 
till  one  o'clock." 

The  Corso  on  the  sea-shore  was  the  great  scene 
of  Neapolitan  splendour  and  display.  When  there 
was  no  opera  the  ^lite  of  society  passed  their  evenings 
on  the  shores  of  the  bay,  and  on  Sundays  the  fashion- 
able drive  was  along  the  Chiaja  to  Posilipo.  On  the 
fete  day  of  the  Madonna  dei  pie  di  Grotta  the  Chiaja 
was  crowded  by  daybreak  with  a  gay  populace  in 
bright  holiday  dress.  The  garrison  troops  lined  the 
route.  The  nobility  appeared  in  gala  coaches.  Grand 
dinners  were  given  at  all  the  houses  on  the  line.  At 
five  o'clock  the  King  passed  in  his  state  coach,  with  a 
retinue  following  him  in  twenty-two  carriages.  A 
picturesque  scene  that  could  not  be  matched  in  any 
other  European  capital. 

In  1797  life  at  Naples  was  full  of  excitement. 
Conversation  by  day  and  dreams  at  night  had  for 
their  sole  subject  the  meeting  of  the  hostile  fleets  of 
France  and  England. 

Sicily  was  collecting  arms  and  stores.  Reviews 
of  the  troops  were  frequently  held,  and  Maria  Caro- 
lina with  her  Court  stayed  for  some  weeks  at  San 
Gennaro  where  the  army  was  encamped.  She  used  to 
ride  through  the  lines  in  a  blue  habit  with  gold  Jleur 
de  Ij/s  at  the  neck,  and  a  general's  hat  with  a  white 
plume. 

Napoleon  had  invaded  Italy,  and  though  Nelson 
had   destroyed   the    French    fleet   sent   to   bombard 

48 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Naples,  yet  the  French  army  under  Champoinet  soon 
appeared  there.  The  NeapoHtan  troops  were  de- 
feated on  all  sides,  and  the  Revolutionary  Party  were 
waiting  to  deliver  the  city  to  the  French.  The  popu- 
lace, maddened  with  terror  and  hatred  of  the  foreign 
invasion,  rose  tumultuously,  destroyed  the  houses  of 
the  revolutionaries  and  committed  terrible  atrocities. 
The  populace  were  loyal  to  their  King  but  savage  and 
ungovernable,  and  in  the  tumults  then  taking  place 
none  knew  who  might  be  the  next  victim  or  what 
turn  their  fury  might  take.  Besides  this  the  Queen 
of  Sicily  had  a  great  dread  of  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  French  armies,  the  murderers  of  her  sister  and 
Louis  XVI.  Warned  by  their  terrible  fate  she  deter- 
mined to  escape  with  her  family  before  it  was  too 
late.  She  claimed  the  assistance  of  Nelson  to  trans- 
port them  to  Palermo,  capital  of  the  island  of  Sicily. 
The  Sicilians  were  loyal  and  ready  to  fight  to  the 
death  against  the  French. 


49 


CHAPTER  III. 

Plight  of  the  King  and  Queen  to  Sicily — Their  Life  there  with 
their  Family — Visit  of  Queen  and  her  Daughters  to  Austria — 
Eeturn  to  Naples — Second  Flight  to  Sicily — Arrival  in  the 
Island  of  Louis  Philippe,  Due  d'Orleans,  Future  Husband  of 
Marie  Amelie. 

When  the  departure  of  the  royal  family  had  been 
decided  on  the  Queen  made  use  of  Lady  Hamilton, 
wife  of  the  English  ambassador,  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  her  boxes  conveyed  on  board  the  ships,  and 
wrote  :  "  There  will  be  many  of  them,  for  'tis  for  ever 
we  go  ". 

It  was  necessary  to  carry  this  out  secretly,  for  if 
it  had  been  generally  known  that  they  were  about 
to  leave,  the  Lazzaroni  would  have  endeavoured  to 
prevent  it,  and  they  were  a  powerful  body,  num- 
bering 40,000,  and  could  enforce  their  wishes. 

So  the  boxes  containing  clothing  and  necessaries, 
the  cases  containing  furniture  or  treasure,  were  all 
sent  to  Lady  Hamilton's  house  and  from  thence  taken 
to  the  ships  that  were  to  transi)ort  them  to  Sicily. 

There  was  an  underground  passage  leading  from 
the  palace  to  the  shore,  and  when  all  the  arrange- 
ments were  completed,  and  everything  ready  for  their 
departure,  the  royal  family  traversed  this  passage  and 
were  met  by  Lord  Nelson  at  the  shore  end  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

60 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

It  was  on  the  21st  December,  1798,  that  the  King 
and  Queen  and  their  family  went  on  board  Nelson's 
shij),  the  Vanguard,  which  was  to  be  accompanied  by 
two  Neapolitan  warships.  Twenty  vessels,  merchant- 
men and  transports,  were  loaded  with  treasure,  and 
crowded  with  members  of  the  Court  and  adherents  of 
the  King  and  Queen,  and  the  long  procession  of  ships 
set  sail  for  Sicily.  They  encountered  a  terrible  storm  ; 
every  one  was  dreadfully  sea-sick,  and  Marie  Am^lie's 
little  brother,  a  child  of  seven,  died  of  exhaustion.  A 
violent  blast  struck  the  Vanguard,  tearing  her  sails  to 
pieces ;  many  of  the  ships  of  the  convoy  were  scat- 
tered, but  the  Vanguard  and  its  royal  burden  arrived 
at  Palermo  at  five  o'clock  on  a  dark  winter's  morning. 
The  royal  party  were  ill,  miserable  and  exhausted, 
but  thankful  to  have  arrived  in  safety.  They  went  on 
shore,  escorted  by  Nelson,  and  took  up  their  abode  at 
the  royal  palace.  The  Sicilians  received  them  with 
every  manifestation  of  joy  and  loyalty,  and  after  re- 
covering from  grief  at  the  death  of  the  little  Prince, 
whose  funeral  was  the  first  public  ceremony  that  took 
place,  the  royal  family  settled  down  into  their  usual 
mode  of  life.  They  had  only  exchanged  one  beautiful 
capital  for  another.  They  were  not  in  financial  diffi- 
culties, having  brought  away  means  to  carry  on  the 
government,  provide  for  their  followers,  and  make 
preparations  for  the  defence  of  their  new  capital, 
besides  treasures  of  the  State  and  gold  from  the  mint 
and  banks,  and  as  much  of  the  valuable  contents  of 
their  palaces  as  could  be  bestowed  on  board  the  ships. 
Though  Maria  Carolina  has  been  much  blamed  for  it, 

51 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

we  think  her  conduct  in  this  respect  very  wise,  and 
contrasting  favourably  with  that  of  most  of  the  French 
royal  and  other  refugees,  who  put  off  their  departure 
till  the  last  minute  and  then  fled  suddenly  without 
resources,  arriving  in  foreign  countries  in  a  destitute 
condition,  and  were  obliged  to  weary  the  Courts  of 
Europe  by  their  begging  incessantly  for  money  and 
assistance. 

The  bay  and  city  of  Palermo  are  by  many  people 
considered  more  beautiful  than  those  of  Naples.  The 
regal  elegance  of  its  marble  palaces,  its  fanciful 
buildings  of  Saracenic  architecture,  are  like  a  fairy 
scene. 

Two  great  streets  intersect  each  other  in  the  centre 
of  the  city,  where  they  form  a  square  called  Ottangolo. 
From  the  centre  of  this  square  the  whole  of  these  fine 
streets  and  the  four  great  gates  of  the  city  which  ter- 
minate them  are  seen,  and  produce  a  fine  effect  of  sym- 
metry and  beauty.  The  handsomest  of  these  gates, 
the  Porto  Felice,  opens  on  the  Marina,  a  magnificent 
promenade  with  a  row  of  fine  houses  on  one  side  and 
on  the  other  fine  trees  and  a  terrace  for  pedestrians, 
along  which  statues  of  the  Sicilian  kings  were  placed 
at  intervals  ;  in  the  midst  a  wide  carriage  road.  The 
Marina  led  to  beautiful  public  gardens,  "  The  Flora 
Keale,"  where  a  band  played  for  the  pleasure  of  pro- 
menaders.  On  account  of  the  scorching  heat  in  sum- 
mer it  was  necessary  to  turn  night  into  day.  The 
orchestral  concert  began  when  the  clock  struck  mid- 
night, when  the  nobility  left  their  carriages  and  walked 
up  and  down  to  enjoy  the  sea  breezes.    No  lights  were 

52 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

allowed,  so  unless  there  was  a  moon  the  promenaders 
could  not  recognise  each  other. 

In  his  well-known  book  of  travels  Mr.  Brydon 
says  :  *'  In  Palermo  the  chief  entertainments  are 
conversaziones.  Here  people  really  converse,  while 
in  Italy  they  only  meet  to  eat  ices  and  play  cards. 
Sicilians  are  better  educated  than  Italians,  and  instead 
of  the  frivolities  which  afford  topics  of  conversation  in 
Italian  society,  the  Sicilians  talk  of  literature  and  his- 
tory as  well  as  of  politics,  and  I  was  surprised  to  find 
many  young  noblemen  acquainted  with  Milton,  Shake- 
speare, Bacon,  and  the  best  English  authors.  They 
were  evidently  better  educated  than  their  King,  whose 
ignorance  was  remarkable.  When  some  one  men- 
tioned the  execution  of  Charles  I.  Ferdinando  said  he 
refused  to  believe  it  had  occurred,  for  he  admired  the 
English  too  much  to  believe  that  their  nation  could  be 
guilty  of  such  a  crime.  He  was  sure  it  was  only  a 
false  report  circulated  by  the  French  to  justify  the 
murder  of  Louis  XVI. 

Many  of  the  Neapolitan  nobles  were  very  ignorant. 
One  asked  Lady  Hamilton  if  she  went  to  Capri  by 
sea  or  land.  Another  in  his  death-bed  confession 
admitted  having  fought  a  duel  :  "I  said  Tasso  was 
superior  to  Ariosto,  and  we  fought  three  times  ;  but 
though  I  disputed  so  vehemently  I  have  never  read  a 
word  of  either  of  those  authors  ". 

If  Sicilian  gentlemen  were  well  educated  it  seems 
that  Sicilian  ladies  were  unfortunately  deficient  in 
good  looks.  Several  travellers  mention  this.  One 
says  :  "1  went  to  a  soiree  at  the  Prince  of  P 's 

53 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

house,  where  the  principal  belles  of  Palermo  were 
assembled,  a  collection  of  frightful  women.  I  never 
beheld  such  an  ugly  race  as  the  Palermite  ladies,  they 
are  perfect  monsters  ". 

The  Sicilians  were  a  remarkably  loyal  race.  When 
the  King  instituted  an  Order  to  reward  loyalty — the 
Order  of  St.  Ferdinando — it  was  remarked  that  all 
the  recipients  were  Neapolitans.  A  Sicilian  noble- 
man said  the  King  had  done  well  to  give  it  to  the  few 
Neapolitan  noblemen  who  had  been  faithful.  He 
would  have  had  to  give  it  to  every  Sicilian. 

Court  functions  went  on  as  usual  at  Palermo,  but 
the  Queen  was  troubled  about  affairs  of  State  and  the 
difficulty  of  defending  the  island  from  the  French,  for 
all  the  Neapolitan  warships  as  well  as  an  immense 
quantity  of  gunpowder  had  been  burned  and  destroyed 
to  prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
After  arriving  at  Palermo  the  Queen  wrote  to  Lady 
Hamilton  :  "  My  dear  Lady, — It  appears  ages  since  I 
saw  you.  It  will  be  a  great  treat  to  see  you  again,  to 
thank  you  for  all  the  help  you  gave  us,  and  to  assure 
you  of  my  eternal  gratitude.  Night  or  day  Lord 
Nelson  or  his  officers  can  see  me  or  the  King.  I  wish 
to  talk  over  our  affairs  with  our  brave  deliverer. 
So  many  troubles  have  shaken  me  and  I  am  much 
depressed."  The  Queen  was  most  generous  in  her 
acknowledgment  of  Lady  Hamilton's  services  and 
presented  her  with  magnificent  jewellery  as  well  as 
large  sums  of  money. 

The  King  had  laid  the  blame  of  the  necessity  of 
their  flight  from  Naples  on  the  Queen's  policy,  and 

54 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

during  the  rough  voyage  to  Palermo  had  said  it  was 
her  fault  that  they  were  not  sleeping  comfortably  in 
their  beds  ;  but  after  arriving  in  the  island  Ferdinando 
did  not  trouble  himself  about  anything,  and  was  per- 
fectly happy  so  long  as  he  could  get  good  hunting, 
shooting  and  fishing,  and  this  he  found  to  perfection 
in  Sicily.  Francesco,  the  Prince  Royal,  likewise  was 
of  no  comfort  or  assistance  to  the  Queen.  He  was 
like  his  father,  stupid  and  without  cultivated  tastes, 
and  in  spite  of  all  the  pains  his  mother  had  taken 
with  his  education,  he  cared  for  nothing  but  sport. 
His  marriage  with  his  cousin,  the  Archduchess  Clem- 
entine of  Austria  took  place  when  he  was  nineteen 
and  his  bride  fifteen,  in  1797  ;  she  was  a  charming 
girl  and  much  beloved  by  Princess  Marie  Am^lie, 
who  was  just  of  the  same  age.  The  Princess  Royal 
held  her  Court,  but  Princess  Marie  Am^lie,  being  un- 
married, had  still  to  pursue  her  studies  and  was 
under  the  control  of  her  governess,  who  encouraged 
her  to  take  part  in  works  of  charity,  to  visit  the  poor 
and  sick,  and  to  make  garments  for  them.  There 
were  also  the  visits  to  convents.  Probably  she  and  her 
sisters  would  have  been  taken  to  see  some  of  the  in- 
teresting historical  sites  in  which  Sicily  abounds. 
There  was  Monte  Pellegrino  where  Hannibal's  father 
remained  during  five  years  of  the  Punic  Wars  ;  the 
temples  of  Agrigentum  amidst  the  orange  and  olive 
woods ;  the  Temple  of  Concord  and  that  of  Jupiter 
Olympus,  the  largest  in  the  world.  Near  by  the 
Convent  of  Recollects  is  situated,  and  from  its  ter- 
races a  magnificent  panorama  meets  the  eye.     Then 

55 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

near  Syracuse,  where  Dionysius  used  to  keep  400 
ships  of  war  in  the  bay  and  on  land  100,000  soldiers, 
are  the  curious  Latomise  or  subterranean  prisons, 
and  a  large  quarry  called  "  the  Ear  of  Dionysius," 
wrought  in  a  circular  form  and  used  as  a  dungeon. 
The  Ear  is  artificially  cut  and  has  many  rings  in  the 
wall  for  fastening  chains  to.  At  the  top  it  is  narrowed 
and  twisted  in  the  shape  of  an  S  till  it  terminates  in 
a  groove  which  is  conveyed  to  a  small  closet  high 
up  over  the  entrance,  where  the  listener  sat.  Owing 
to  breaches  in  the  walls  the  hearing  is  now  imperfect. 
The  echo  in  the  quarry  is  wonderful ;  the  tearing  of  a 
sheet  of  paper  sounds  like  the  cracking  of  a  whip. 
Farther  down  are  the  Catacombs,  thought  more 
wonderful  than  those  of  Rome.  In  many  of  the 
mouths  of  the  skeletons  medals  were  found.  The 
Fountain  of  Cyane,  near  which  Egyptian  papyrus 
grew.  Then  there  was  Etna,  the  wonderful  size  of 
which  quite  dwarfed  the  memory  of  Vesuvius.  It  is 
best  approached  from  Catalagina,  from  whence  a 
plain  of  thirty  miles  extends  to  Etna,  Snow  covers 
a  quarter  of  this  stupendous  cone,  then  comes  a  dark 
brown  region,  lower  down  a  number  of  white  villages, 
then  Catania,  the  finest  city  in  Sicily,  built  on  black 
lava  vomited  from  two  hills  at  the  foot  of  Etna  :  out- 
side, the  immense  tree-trunk,  called  the  Cente  Cavilli, 
in  which  travellers  are  seated  at  a  table  to  dine ;  and 
other  immense  chestnut  trees,  some  measuring  seventy- 
eight  feet  round. 

Sicily  is  not,  as  some  people  think,  a  barren  rocky 
country.     There  are  cornfields  and  greensward,  rich 

56 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tracts  of  cultivation,  olive  woods  and  great  forests 
of  chestnut  and  oak  trees  of  prodigious  size  and 
bulk. 

Writing  to  her  favourite  daughter,  the  Empress  of 
Austria,  in  1799,  Maria  Carolina  says:  ''As  Queen- 
mother,  woman  I  am  unlucky.  My  children  hide 
their  grief  in  order  not  to  sadden  me,  they  merit  a 
better  fate.  Mimi  (Maria  Christina)  prays  and  does 
penance,  hoping  that  God  will  take  pity  and  change 
our  circumstances.  Am^lie  is  the  prettiest  and  has 
infinite  tact  and  an  excellent  heart.  Your  father  is 
well ;  whether  from  religious  principle  or  resignation 
he  is  content.  I  admire  him.  Naples  is  like  the  Hott- 
entots to  him.  He  does  not  see  it  and  therefore  does 
not  think  of  it." 

Her  daughter  replied :  *'  Come  to  me,  dearest 
mother ;  you  and  my  beloved  brothers  and  sisters 
will  be  received  with  open  arms.  You  can  be  your 
own  mistress  and  live  as  you  please.  I  cannot  rest 
so  long  as  you  are  in  Sicily  exposed  to  dangers. 
Think  of  me  only  as  your  devoted  Theresa,  who 
would  give  her  life  to  make  you  happy.  You  can 
live  at  Vienna  or  in  any  other  part  of  my  husband's 
dominions  that  you  prefer." 

At  that  time  Maria  Carolina  would  not  accept  her 
daughter's  invitation.  She  said  :  "  I  would  rather  die 
than  be  dependent  on  others." 

She  and  her  daughters  embroidered  banners  for  the 

Sicilian  troops  who  took  up  arms  against  the  French, 

and   she   still   had   hopes   of   returning   one   day  to 

^.Naples.     The   old   French   princesses,   daughters   of 

«7 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Louis  XV.,  had  taken  refuge  at  Naples  and  were 
lodged  at  Caserta  for  three  years.  They,  too,  had 
taken  flight,  and  the  Queen  wrote  to  her  daughter : 
"  We  only  lent  them  two  old  carriages  and  six  bad 
horses,  but  they  were  grateful.  If  they  get  safe  to 
Vienna  treat  them  as  their  rank  deserves." 

The  young  princesses  spent  their  time  pleasantly 
and  happily  enough  during  their  two  years'  stay  in 
Sicily,  but  the  Queen  was  melancholy  and  depressed  ; 
there  was  desperate  fighting  going  on  in  the  mainland, 
and  the  French  had  established  a  Republican  Govern- 
ment at  Naples,  now  called  the  Parthenopian  Re- 
public. News  was  disquieting ;  the  Queen  in  June, 
1800,  resolved  to  go  to  Vienna  to  confer  with  her 
son-in-law,  the  Emperor,  on  political  matters  and  to 
see  her  daughter  Ludovica,  Duchess  of  Tuscany,  who 
was  in  great  sorrow  over  the  death  of  her  son,  and 
longed  for  her  mother's  presence.  Maria  Carolina 
was  accompanied  to  Vienna  by  her  four  younger 
children,  the  Princesses  Christine,  Marie  Am^lie  and 
Antoinette,  and  Prince  Leopold.  Lord  Nelson  in  his 
ship  the  Foudroijant  took  them  to  Livorno.  They  were 
accompanied  by  the  English  ambassador.  Sir  William 
and  Lady  Hamilton ;  also  by  Miss  Cornelia  Knight, 
who  has  left  a  detailed  account  of  all  that  occurred 
on  this  eventful  journey.  On  landing  at  Livorno  the 
first  news  they  heard  was  of  Napoleon's  great  victory 
over  the  Austrians  at  Marengo,  and  they  had  to  pass 
a  month  at  the  Court  of  Tuscany  before  it  was  safe 
to  continue  the  journey  to  Vienna.  Tuscany  was 
overrun  by  the  French  troops,  and  terrifying  rumours 

68 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

were  always  in  circulation.  "When  finally  they  set  out^ 
the  journey  by  land  and  sea  was  full  of  anxieties  and 
dangers  owing  to  the  nearness  of  the  French  armies. 
Miss  Knight  speaks  of  the  great  attention  paid  to  her, 
and  the  kindness  of  the  princesses  when  she  was  ill 
during  their  travels. 

Lord  Nelson  escorted  them  to  Ancona,  where  an 
Austrian  frigate  fitted  up  with  silk  hangings  and 
carpets  and  eighty  beds  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  party  had  been  sent  to  meet  them,  but  there  had 
been  a  mutiny  on  board,  and  they  finally  set  ofif  with 
a  Russian  squadron  of  three  frigates  and  a  brig  which 
conveyed  them  across  the  Adriatic. 

The  Queen  and  thirty -four  of  her  suite  had  fever, 
but  when  after  their  tedious  and  perilous  journey 
they  finally  arrived  at  Vienna,  the  Queen  was  received 
with  all  the  honours  due  to  her  as  daughter  of  the  great 
Empress,  Maria  Theresa,  and  mother  of  the  reigning 
Empress  and  aunt  to  the  Emperor.  The  Austrian 
Prime  Minister,  Thugut,  dreaded  Maria  Carolina's 
influence  over  her  nephew  and  son-in-law,  Francis  I./ 
and  saw  with  uneasiness  the  increasing  intimacy  and 
affection  of  the  royal  children  of  Naples  and  their 
Austrian  cousins.  Marie  Am^lie,  in  her  journal, 
speaks  of  her  happiness  and  delight  during  this  long 
stay  in  Austria.  Being  fond  of  music  she  appreciated 
the  opportunities  of  studying  it  and  enjoying  musical 
performances,  for  Haydn  was  then  at  Vienna  in  the 
height  of  his  fame. 

^His  father,  Francis  of  Lorraine,  though  called  Emperor  did 
not  reign,  he  was  only  the  consort  of  the  Empress. 

59 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  simple  family  life,  and  outdoor  amusements 
of  the  Imperial  family,  were  varied  by  attendance  at 
great  ceremonies,  such  as  the  reception  of  the  Arch- 
duke Charles  as  Knight  of  the  Teutonic  Order,  ac- 
companied by  all  the  pomp  and  religious  solemnity  of 
the  days  of  chivalry.  Also  the  opening  of  the  Diet 
at  Presburg,  a  magnificent  spectacle  to  which  the 
picturesque  figures  of  the  Hungarian  nobles,  their 
strange  customs,  and  the  extraordinary  splendour  of 
their  dress  lent  an  almost  Oriental  character.  They 
also  made  a  pilgrimage  to  Maria  Zell  in  Styria  where 
their  grandfather  the  Emperor  Francis  had  died.  To 
get  there  they  had  to  travel  two  days  through  grand 
scenery  to  this  lonely  spot  among  the  mountains. 
The  loveliness  of  the  place  and  the  imposing  church 
so  impressed  Marie  Am^lie  that  she  wished  she  could 
come  every  year. 

Marie  Am^lie  was  not  pretty.  She  was  tall  and 
thin,  with  fair  hair,  small  blue  eyes  and  irregular  teeth. 
But  her  head  was  well  set  on  her  shoulders  and  she 
had  an  air  of  distinction  and  a  very  pleasant  expres- 
sion. One  of  the  cousins,  the  Archduke  Anton,  fell 
in  love  with  her  and  paid  her  devoted  attention  in 
public  and  private.  He  was  destined  for  the  priest- 
hood and  to  become  Prince  Bishop  of  Bamburg,  one 
of  the  greatest  ecclesiastical  positions  in  Europe,  but 
Maria  Carolina  told  her  daughter  that  if  she  recipro- 
cated his  affection,  the  vows  could  be  annulled  by  the 
Emperor's  influence.  Marie  Am61ie,  however,  did  not 
wish  for  the  marriage.  Still  more  distasteful  was  the 
next  husband  proposed  for  her,  the  eldest  son  of  the 

60 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

King  of  Spain.  The  reports  as  to  the  personality  of 
the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  were  unpleasant,  and  the 
weak,  foolish  King  Charles  V.  was  entirely  governed 
by  his  wife,  a  woman  of  extremely  vicious  character, 
swayed  by  her  disreputable  favourite  Manuel  Godoy. 
The  Spanish  Court  could  not  have  been  a  desirable 
home  for  a  well-brought-up  princess  ;  but  the  alliance 
was  too  important  to  be  rejected  by  the  Queen  of  the 
Two  Sicilies.  Marie  Am61ie  escaped,  as  it  was  de- 
cided that  her  younger  sister  Antoinette  was  more 
suitable  in  age  for  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias.  Marie 
Amelie  was  heart-broken  at  parting  with  this  favourite 
sister  who  had  been  her  intimate  companion,  and  was 
full  of  forebodings  as  to  her  fate,  which  in  a  few 
years  were  justified  by  her  untimely  end.  The  French 
ambassador,  Junot,  spoke  with  great  admiration  of 
the  young  Princess  of  the  Asturias,  saying :  "  She 
was  charming,  the  perfection  of  a  princess,  a  most 
accomplished  person  ".  She  obtained  unbounded  in- 
fluence over  her  husband ;  this  excited  the  jealousy 
of  the  Queen-mother  and  her  all-powerful  favourite, 
Godoy,  by  whose  orders  she  was  poisoned. 

While  the  young  princesses  and  their  mother  had 
been  enjoying  a  peaceful  time  at  Vienna,  terrible 
events  had  convulsed  the  Kingdom  of  the  Two  Sicilies. 
The  Republican  Government  at  Naples  was  by  no 
means  secure,  though  they  did  their  best  to  spread 
Republican  sentiments,  and  used  to  employ  popular 
orators  for  this  purpose.  One  of  them,  known  as 
Michaelo  el  Pazzo,  had  been  made  a  colonel  by  the 
Republic  and  set  to  harangue  the  mob.     When  asked 

61 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

what  a  citizen  was  he  replied  :  "  I  do  not  know,  but 
it  must  be  a  good  name,  as  the  heads  of  the  State 
have  adopted  it  for  themselves.  By  calling  every  one 
Citizen,  the  great  lords  are  no  longer  Excellencies 
and  we  are  no  longer  Lazzaroni ;  that  name  makes 
all  men  equal."  When  asked,  "  What  does  equality 
mean  ? "  he  replied  :  "  That  I  may  be  either  a  Lazzaro 
or  a  Colonel.  The  great  lords  were  Colonels  before 
they  were  born,  I  am  one  by  Equality.  Men  were 
once  born  great,  now  they  become  so." 

M.  David,  the  Consul  at  Naples,  wrote  to  the  French 
Government :  "  The  populace  are  fanatically  devoted 
to  Ferdinando  and  detest  the  French.  If  they  saw  a 
chance  they  would  not  leave  a  Frenchman  alive.  If 
the  English  come  and  bombard  Naples  and  join  forces 
with  the  Lazzaroni  we  shall  be  in  the  greatest  danger." 

The  Royalist  jmrty  were  not  idle ;  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Abruzzi  took  up  arms  under  the  brigand  who 
became  celebrated  under  the  name  of  Fra  Diavolo,  for 
neither  party  was  particular  as  to  the  tools  they  used  to 
effect  their  purpose.  Knowing  the  power  of  religious 
sentiment  on  his  people,  the  King  invested  Cardinal 
Ruffo,  a  most  remarkable  man,  with  command  of  the 
troops  raised  in  Calabria,  and  the  title  of  Vicar- 
General  of  the  Kingdom.  He  gave  absolution  to  the 
troops  for  all  crimes  committed,  and  knew  how  to 
turn  brigands  into  intrepid  soldiers.  Every  morning 
he  performed  Mass  in  camp  and  then  rode  at  the 
head  of  the  troops  dressed  in  purple,  sword  in  hand. 
The  French  troops  had  to  retire  before  him,  he  entered 
Naples  victorious,  and  thus  ended  the  Parthenopian 
Republic. 

62 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

After  the  occupation  of  Naples  by  Cardinal  Ruffo, 
Ferdinando,  escorted  by  Nelson  and  the  English 
fleet,  returned  thither  and  resumed  his  sovereignty 
in  June,  1709.  During  the  war  and  afterwards,  be- 
fore his  authority  was  re-established,  terrible  atrocities 
were  committed,  and  in  taking  vengeance  on  disloyal 
people  scones  so  horrible  were  enacted  that  they  were 
a  disgrace  to  humanity. 

All  this  did  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  Marie 
Am^lie  till  many  years  later. 

It  was  not  till  1802  that  Queen  Maria  Carolina 
and  her  daughters,  with  their  brother  Leopold,  Prince 
of  Salerno,  left  Vienna  and  rejoined  King  Ferdinando 
at  Naples. 

They  re-entered  in  triumph  and  were  received  by 
Lord  Nelson  and  Sir  William  and  Lady  Hamilton. 
The  Queen  threw  herself  into  Lady  Hamilton's  arms 
and  embraced  her  and  encircled  her  neck  with  a  string 
of  diamonds,  from  which  was  suspended  a  miniature 
of  herself,  around  which  were  the  words  "  eternal 
gratitude  ". 

During  their  stay  in  Vienna,  Marie  Am61ie  had 
seen  much  of  her  niece,  Marie  Louise,  then  a  child  of 
eleven,  who  was  destined  to  be  Empress  where  Marie 
Am^lie  afterwards  became  Queen,  i.e.,  in  France,  and 
both  were  to  reign  under  the  tricolour  flag  which  they 
had  been  taught  in  youth  to  detest. 

During  the  absence  of  his  mother  and  sisters  in 
Vienna  the  Prince  Royal  had  lost  not  only  his  little 
son,  the  heir  to  the  throne,  but  also  his  wife  Clemen- 
tina, daughter  of  the  Empress  of  Austria.     She  was 

63 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

survived  by  her  little  daughter,  named  Maria  Carolina 
after  her  grandmother,  who  in  after  years,  as  Duchesse 
de  Berry,  v^^as  a  familiar  figure  in  the  daily  life  of  Marie 
Am61ie  in  France,  where  she  played  a  conspicuous 
part.  The  heir  to  the  throne  having  died,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  Prince  Royal  to  remarry.  The  Infanta 
Isabel  of  Spain  was  chosen  to  be  his  wife,  and  the 
Spanish  warship  that  brought  her  to  Naples  took  back 
the  Princess  Antoinette  to  Spain,  she  having  been 
married  to  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  in  Naples 
previously  by  proxy. 

The  Sicilian  royal  family  were  much  disappointed 
with  the  bride  sent  to  the  Prince  Royal  ;  she  was 
short,  stout,  plain,  had  very  little  education,  and  was 
of  a  lethargic  temperament.  Even  the  King  felt 
his  new  daughter-in-law  was  not  up  to  the  mark,  and 
contrasted  her  deficiencies  with  the  attainments  and 
manners  of  his  accomplished  daughters.  Princess 
Marie  Am^lie  was  desired  to  endeavour  to  polish  and 
improve  her  young  sister-in-law,  but  found  it  quite  a 
hopeless  task,  as,  though  the  Infanta  Isabel  was  only 
fourteen,  she  had  a  great  idea  of  her  own  importance  as 
a  married  woman,  wife  of  the  heir  to  the  throne,  and 
declined  to  take  either  advice  or  instruction  from  her 
unmarried  sister-in-law.  However,  she  suited  her  hus- 
band very  well,  and  they  were  quite  happy  together, 
passing  their  time  in  riding,  hunting  and  looking  after 
the  Prince  Royal's  farm. 

Although  many  sad  and  terrible  events  were  taking 
place  in  Naples,  conspiracies,  murders,  trial  and  exe- 
cution of  conspirators,  many  of  whom  were  notable 

64 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  distinguished  persons,  and  the  power  of  Napoleon 
was  a  perpetual  menace,  yet  the  Court  life  was  out- 
wardly undisturbed,  and  the  royal  family  occupied 
themselves  with  amusements  of  an  intellectual  order. 
The  musicians,  Cimaroso  and  Paisello,  were  in  the 
height  of  their  fame  as  composers  ;  the  excavations  at 
Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  were  a  great  interest,  many 
beautiful  works  of  art  and  antiquities  were  unearthed, 
and  the  Princesses  Christine  and  Marie  Am^lie  were 
often  there  listening  to  the  explanations  of  learned 
men.  Every  week  the  Queen  gave  informal  dances 
for  young  people  which  her  sons  and  daughters  greatly 
enjoyed. 

One  day  in  July  the  heat  had  been  unusually  op- 
pressive, the  sky  became  overcast,  a  tremendous  gale 
arose,  and  at  night  a  terrible  earthquake  accompanied 
by  a  rumbling  noise  shook  the  city.  Every  one  rushed 
out  of  their  beds  and  houses  into  the  open  air.  The 
princesses  spent  the  night  in  a  carriage  outside  the 
palace.  At  daybreak  it  was  seen  that  Vesuvius  was 
deprived  of  its  summit,  which  had  been  swallowed  up 
in  the  volcano.  Darkness  lasted  for  three  days,  and 
the  air  was  thick  with  showers  of  ashes.  The  ground 
was  convulsed  for  600  miles  around,  fifty-nine  towns 
were  destroyed,  thousands  of  people  lost  their  lives. 
The  destruction  in  Naples  itself  was  not  so  great  as  in 
the  surrounding  country.  It  was  not  surprising  that 
Marie  Amelie  retained  all  through  life  a  great  dread 
of  earthquakes  and  thunderstorms.  Not  long  before, 
her  apartment  at  Portici  had  been  struck  by  lightning 
and  her  embroidery  frame  destroyed. 

65  5 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

In  1806  Napoleon,  wanting  a  kingdom  for  his 
brother  Joseph,  decided  to  annex  Naples,  and  the 
Bourbons  had  again  to  fly  to  Sicily.  This  time  they 
felt  it  would  be  never  to  return,  and  in  her  Journal 
Marie  Am61ie  relates  how  they  went  for  the  last  time 
to  the  palace  chapel  for  the  service  of  benediction. 
She  says  :  "  After  the  service  mamma  addressed  the 
Court  in  touching  words  of  farewell  ;  nothing  but 
tears  and  sobs  were  heard.  I  felt  my  heart  break- 
mg. 

In  a  letter  to  her  daughter,  the  Empress  of  Austria, 
Maria  Carolina  relates  how  exasperated  she  felt  at  the 
apathy  of  Isabel,  the  Princess  Royal,  who  while  the 
preparations  for  embarkation  were  going  on  and  every 
one  else  was  in  the  deepest  grief,  seemed  to  feel  noth- 
ing. '*  She  is  just  like  a  log,  understanding  and  feel- 
ing nothing,  as  unconcerned  as  if  nothing  was  the 
matter." 

The  emergency  seemed  to  have  aroused  the  Prince 
Royal ;  he  and  his  brother  Leopold,  full  of  enthu- 
siasm, went  off  to  join  the  Sicilian  army  in  Calabria, 
when,  after  a  heart-rending  farewell,  the  Queen  and 
her  daughters  set  sail  for  Sicily,  where  the  King  had 
already  gone.^ 

Their  former  arrival  in  Sicily  had  been  of  a  different 
character  ;  they  were  escorted  by  a  powerful  ally,  and 
well  provided  with  money  and  with  everything  neces- 

^  His  last  words  on  leaving  the  palace,  where  he  had  reigned  for 
forty-seven  years,  were  :  "  Do  not  forget  to  bring  my  supper  on 
board  and  to  keep  it  hot  ".  This  in  the  presence  of  a  crowd  of 
courtiers  who  had  assembled  to  take  leave  of  him. 

66 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

sary  to  transform  an  old  palace  into  a  luxnrious  abode. 
On  this  occasion  some  of  the  ships  bearing  their  fur- 
niture and  stores  were  lost ;  they  were  very  short  of 
money  and  were  obliged  to  help  their  unfortunate 
retinue  who  had  lost  everything  in  the  wrecked  ships, 
and  before  long  they  were  obliged  to  dismiss  their 
servants  because  they  had  no  money  to  pay  them.  So 
diminished  was  the  royal  household  that,  when  the 
two  children  of  the  Prince  Royal  were  taken  out 
walking,  the  Princess  Marie  Am^lie  and  her  sister  had 
to  stay  at  home,  or  there  would  have  been  no  one  to 
look  after  the  palace  apartments.  The  Queen  was 
broken  in  health  and  spirit  by  a  succession  of  mis- 
fortunes ;  she  seldom  went  out.  The  princesses,  who 
had  never  before  known  anything  but  splendour  and 
luxury  in  their  surroundings,  were  now  to  undergo 
the  discipline  of  poverty  and  privation.  They  were 
scrupulous  in  attending  all  church  services  ;  they 
visited  convents  and  endeavoured  to  console  their 
mother.  England  was  resolved  that  Napoleon  should 
not  get  Sicily,  though  they  had  recognised  Joseph 
Bonaparte  as  King  of  Naples,  and  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  Spain  he  was  succeeded  by  Murat,  the  hus- 
band of  Caroline  Bonaparte.^ 

The  English  Government  allowed  King  Ferdinando 
and  Queen  Maria  Carolina  £300,000  per  annum  for 
the  upkeep  of  their  Court  and  Government ;  but  Maria 
Carolina  was  never  one  who  could  stay  her  hand,  and 

^  After  the  fall  of  Napoleon  and  her  husband's  death  Caroline 
Murat  came  to  Paris  and  Louis  Philippe  granted  her  a  pension. 
She  always  professed  great  admiration  for  Marie  Amelie. 

67 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

there  were  an  immense  number  of  loyalist  refugees 
from  Naples  to  be  supported,  so  that  the  royal  family 
were  always  in  want  of  money.  The  English  general 
said  :  "  There  is  no  order  or  method  in  distributing 
the  finances.  If  Mount  Etna  were  made  of  gold  the 
royal  family  would  still  be  poor." 

The  war  in  Calabria  being  over,  the  Prince  Royal 
and  his  brother  returned  to  Sicily.  The  former  with 
his  father  established  himself  in  a  country  house  and 
occupied  themselves  with  farming,  selling  butter  and 
eggs  to  all  comers. 

Carlo  Felice,  Duke  of  Genoa,  brother  of  the  King 
of  Sardinia,  had  long  been  attached  to  the  Princess 
Christine,  but  in  the  days  of  prosperity  the  Queen 
of  Sicily  had  not  thought  him  a  good  enough  match 
for  her  daughter.  But  when  he  now  renewed  his 
offer  it  was  gladly  accepted ;  the  marriage  was  cele- 
brated at  Palermo,  and  after  some  stay  in  Sicily  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Genoa  went  in  1807  to  live  at 
the  Sardinian  Court.  The  Duke  was  heir-presump- 
tive to  the  Crown. 

Princess  Marie  Am61ie  was  now  left  alone  with 
her  mother,  except  for  the  companionship  of  her 
second  brother,  Leopold,  Prince  of  Salerno,  a  high- 
minded,  accomplished  man,  with  whom  she  was  on 
the  best  of  terms. 

Napoleon  had  proposed  a  marriage  between  Marie 
Am^lie  and  his  stepson,  Eugene  Beauharnais,  Vice- 
roy of  Italy,  but  this  proposal  was  indignantly  re- 
jected. 

The  Queen's  eyesight  had  failed,  and  Marie  Amdhe 

68 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

spent  much  time  in  reading  to  and  writing  for  her. 
The  King  only  visited  them  occasionally.  In  her 
journal  Princess  Amc^lie  says  that  the  Queen  showed 
her  so  much  tenderness  and  affection  that  these 
months  during  which  they  were  thrown  on  one 
another  for  companionship,  and  which  they  spent  at 
the  Queen's  country  house  at  Tamastra,  were  amongst 
her  dearest  recollections. 

The  year  1808  was  rendered  memorable  to  Marie 
Am61ie  by  the  arrival  in  the  island  of  he  who  was 
destined  to  become  her  husband,  Louis  Philippe,  Duo 
d'Orl(^ans.  The  Queen  had  the  greatest  horror  of 
meeting  him,  being  as  he  was  the  son  of  Egaliti^,  the 
bitter  enemy  of  her  sister  Marie  Antoinette,  and 
whose  vote  for  the  death  of  his  cousin  and  King 
Louis  XVI.  has  made  his  memory  for  ever  execrable. 
He  had  met  his  reward  on  the  scaffold,  and  his  son 
Louis  Philippe — though  he  had  when  a  boy  kept  the 
door  of  the  Jacobin  Club,  and  witnessed  with  his 
governess,  the  celebrated  Mme  de  Genlis,  the  storm- 
ing of  the  Bastille,  and  had  fought  with  distinguished 
gallantry  in  the  Republican  army  under  Dumouriez — 
had  in  long  years  of  poverty  and  exile  learned  to  see 
what  the  extreme  principles  instilled  into  his  mind 
in  youth  led  to,  and  to  abjure  them.  He  had  always 
looked  on  his  father's  conduct  with  horror  and  wished 
to  blot  out  the  remembrance  of  it,  and  to  cast  off  the 
reproach  attached  to  his  name  by  establishing  re- 
lations with  some  of  the  royal  families  of  Europe. 
None  could  serve  his  purpose  better  than  the  Sicilian 
Bourbons,  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  Revolution,  by 

69 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

descent  and  tradition  the  perfect  embodiment  of  the 
monarchical  principle  in  Europe,  and  closely  related 
to  the  sovereigns  of  Spain  and  Austria. 

He  wrote  an  account  of  his  first  meeting  with  the 
Neapolitan  royal  family  :  "  The  Queen  awaited  me  on 
the  top  of  the  steps  at  the  entrance  of  her  residence  at 
Tamastro  ;  when  I  presented  myself  she  took  my  hand 
and  led  me  to  her  room  ;  there,  standing  in  the  recess 
of  a  window,  she  held  my  head  between  her  hands 
and  gazed  at  me  for  some  time  without  speaking.  At 
last  she  said  :  "I  ought  to  detest  you  and  yet  I  feel 
a  liking  for  you  ".  She  then  sent  for  the  princesses. 
Princess  Marie  Am^lie  records  this  meeting,  in  her 
journal,  as  follows  ;  "  Mamma  sent  for  Isabel  and  me 
and  presented  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  to  us.  He  is  of 
middle  height,  inclined  to  be  stout ;  he  is  neither 
handsome  nor  ugly.  He  has  the  features  of  the 
House  of  Bourbon  and  is  very  polite  and  well  edu- 
cated." 

There  is  an  entry  in  Marie  Am^lie's  journal  on  the 
last  day  of  the  year,  1808,  in  which  she  wrote  :  "  This 
year  I  have  made  an  acquaintance  which  will  prob- 
ably influence  my  whole  life,  and  has  given  rise  to 
new  sentiments  and  ideas  in  my  mind  and  heart. 
Clearly  seeing  the  hand  of  God  in  the  unexpected 
arrival  of  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  in  this  island,  and  in  my 
parent's  feelings  towards  him,  I  had  thought  we  were 
destined  to  make  the  happiness  of  each  other's  lives. 
But  I  desire  nothing  that  is  against  the  will  of  God, 
or  that  will  not  be  for  His  glory  and  the  welfare  of 
our  souls." 

70 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

In  after  years,  when  King  of  the  French,  the 
Due  d' Orleans  told  Victor  Hugo  that  he  had  never 
been  really  in  love  but  once  in  his  life  and  that  was 
with  his  "Governor,"  Madame  de  Genlis,  though  he 
said:  " She  educated  us  ferociously ".  But  he  genu- 
inely admired  and  liked  Marie  Am^lie,  who  had 
charming  manners,  an  air  of  great  distinction,  and 
was  a  most  accomplished  young  lady,  and  he  soon 
found  means  to  win  her  affections ;  his  want  of  for- 
tune prevented  marriage  for  the  present,  but  they 
looked  upon  themselves  as  engaged.  Marie  Am^lie's 
brother  was  sent  to  Spain  to  act  as  regent  on  the 
death  of  the  late  king,  and  the  Due  d' Orleans  was 
to  accompany  him.  Marie  Am^lie  went  to  see  her 
brother  off  and  the  Due  d' Orleans  escorted  her  to  the 
place  of  embarkation.  She  said  how  glad  she  was 
that  he  was  going  with  her  brother.  The  Due  d'Or- 
leans  replied  :  "  I  will  take  care  of  him  for  your  sake. 
Ah !  if  you  only  knew  how  dear  you  are  to  me ! 
Do  not  forget  me ! "  "  You  may  rely  on  me," 
replied  Marie  Am^lie.  "  I  never  change.  My  affec- 
tion once  given  is  given  for  ever."  When  she  left 
the  ship  and  got  into  the  launch  that  was  to  take 
her  to  shore,  having  taken  her  seat,  she  cried : 
"Adieu,  mon  cousin".  He  replied:  "Adieu,  ma 
princesse  ". 

Marie  Am61ie  at  this  time  was  twenty-six  years 
old  and  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  thirty-five.  This  was  not 
the  first  connection  between  the  House  of  Orleans 
and  the  Kingdom  of  Sicily.     An  ancestress  of  Louis 

71 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Philippe,  Anne  d'0rl6ans,  daughter  of  Louis  XIV. 's 
brother  Philippe  Due  d'Orl^ans  and  Henrietta  Stuart, 
married  Victor  Amadeus  of  Savoy,  first  King  of 
Sicily,  and  they  were  crowned  in  the  cathedral  at 
Palermo  with  great  pomp  and  magnificence. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Notes  on  the  Life  of  Louis  Philippe,  Due  d'0rl6ans  and  his 
Family — His  Political  Opinions — His  Home,  Education,  Ad- 
ventures— Hjs  Father's  Fate — The  French  Revolution. 

Louis  Philippe  d'0rl6ans  and  Marie  Am6lie  were  related,  both 
were  descendants  in  the  same  degree  of  Louis  XIII.,  King  of 
France. 

Louis  XIII. 


Louis  XIV.  Philippe  Due  d'Orl^ans 

Dauphin  The  Eegent  d'0rl6ans 

Philip  V.  of  Spain  Louis  d'0rl6ans 

Chas.  III.  of  Spain  and  Naples  Louis  Philippe  d' Orleans 

Ferdinando  Louis      Philippe     Joseph 

:figalit6 
Marie  Amelie  Louis  Philippe,  King  of  the 

French 

Marie  Am61ie's  descent  from  Louis  XIV.  was  in  the  male  line, 
Louis  Philippe's  both  male  and  female,  for  his  ancestor  the  regent 
married  Mile,  de  Blois,  daughter  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  his  own 
mother  was  granddaughter  of  the  Comte  de  Toulouse,  youngest  son 
of  Louis  XIV. 

Louis  Philippe  was  born  in  Paris,  1773.  He  was 
the  eldest  son  of  that  Duke  of  Orleans  generally 
known  as  Philippe  Egalit^,  though  he  was  reluctant 
to  assume  this  surname,  which  was  forced  on  him 
when  he  was  no  longer   the    leader  of   the   popular 

73 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

party  but  the  discredited  tool  of  the  Terrorists.^ 
Philippe  Egalit^'s  wife  was  the  only  child  and  heiress 
of  the  Due  de  Penthievre  who  had  inherited  the 
great  wealth  of  his  uncle  the  Due  du  Maine,  as  well 
as  that  of  his  father  the  Due  de  Toulouse,  youngest 
son  of  Louis  XIV.  and  Madame  de  Montespan. 
Mile,  de  Penthievre  was  good,  charitable  and  pious, 
ardently  attached  to  the  old  regime  :  she  fell  desper- 
ately in  love  with  her  future  husband,  then  Due  de 
Chartres,  at  their  first  meeting,  and  declared  she  would 
never  marry  any  one  else.  Her  father  gave  his  con- 
sent reluctantly,  for  the  Due  de  Chartres  was  noted 
for  his  vicious  disposition  and  dissipated  habits,  and 
it  would  have  been  difficult  to  find,  as  far  as  tastes 
and  dispositions  went,  a  husband  less  likely  to  make 
a  young,  modest  girl  happy.  She  was  the  greatest 
heiress  in  France,  so  the  Due  de  Chartres  was  glad  to 
marry  her.  He  had  good  abilities,  was  tall  and  had 
an  air  of  great  distinction,  but  the  vicious  excesses  of 
his  life  at  an  early  age  left  their  mark  on  his  appear- 
ance. He  was  bald,  his  complexion  became  copper 
colour,  his  face  was  marred  with  pimples.  He  had 
made  frequent  visits  to  England  and  was  a  friend  of 

^He  had  sent  his  daughter  to  England  for  safety.  She  re- 
mained there  a  long  time.  When  he  wished  her  to  return  to  France 
he  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville  and  solicit  from  Manuel, 
Procurator  of  the  Syndic,  permission  for  her  to  re-enter  the  country. 
Manuel  refused  to  grant  permission  unless  the  Duke  of  Orl6ans 
would  assume  a  new  name,  and  relinquish  his  title.  Pointing  to 
statues  of  Liberty  and  Equahty  which  adorned  the  hall,  Manuel 
proposed  to  the  Duke  to  take  the  latter  as  his  new  name.  The 
Duke  agreed,  but  with  repugnance. 

74 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

the  regent,  afterwards  George  IV.  and  admired  the 
English  Constitution. 

It  is  necessary  to  give  somewhat  lengthy  details 
as  to  the  birth  of  Louis  Philippe,  because  his  legiti- 
macy has  been  challenged  by  Maria  Stella,  Lady 
Newborough,^  who  maintained  that  sJie  was  the  child 
of  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres  and  that  Louis 
Philippe  was  the  son  of  Lorenzo  Chiappini,  a  village 
constable  of  Modigliana  in  Tuscany  ;  that  in  1773  the 
Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres  were  travelling  in 
Italy  under  the  name  of  Comte  and  Comtesse  de 
Joinville,  that  the  Comtesse  gave  birth  to  a  daughter 
at  Modigliana  in  April,  1773,  and  that  this  daughter 
was  exchanged  for  a  son  born  the  same  day  to  the 
wife  of  Chiappini ;  that  the  reason  for  this  substitution 
was  that  the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  was  very  delicate 
and  that  if  she  pre-deceased  her  husband  without 
leaving  a  son  a  large  proportion  of  her  immense 
wealth  would  revert  to  her  family. 

It  is  not  likely  that  a  high-minded  woman  like 
the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  would  have  agreed  to  such 
a  substitution,  and  it  will  be  shown  -  that  she  and  her 
husband  were  not  in  Italy  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of 
the  girl  brought  up  by  Chiappini.  It  is,  however,  cer- 
tain that  this  girl  was  the  daughter  of  travellers  calling 
themselves  Comte  and  Comtesse  de  Joinville  and  was 
exchanged  by  them  for  Chiappini's  boy.     It  has  since 

1  See  The  Mystery  of  Maria  Stella,  Lady  Newborough,  by  Sir 
Ealph  Payne  Gallwey.     Published  London,  1907. 

2  See  Les  Enigmes  de  I'Histoire  :  Philippe  J^galite  et  Chiappini, 
par  M.  Maurice  Vitrac,  de  la  Biblioth^que  Nationale.     Paris,  1907. 

75 


THE  lifp:  of  marie  amelie 

been  proved  ^  that  these  people  were  a  Comte  and 
Comtesse  Battaglini,  and  that  the  Count  was  arrested 
on  account  of  this  substitution.  Chiappini  received 
a  large  sum  of  money  with  the  girl  and  had  her  well 
educated.  She  went  on  the  stage,  Lord  Newborough 
saw  and  admired  her,  and  married  her  at  Florence  in 
February,  1786. 

When  on  the  point  of  death  her  supposed  father, 
Chiappini,  told  her  of  the  substitution,  and  she  ad- 
vertised for  the  Comte  de  Joinville.  Apparently  the 
only  reason  for  thinking  that  she  was  the  child  of  the 
Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres  '^  was  that  Joinville  is 
an  estate  belonging  to  the  Dues  d'Orleans,  and  there  are 
no  other  holders  of  such  a  title.  It  was  also  supposed 
that  she  bore  a  very  strong  resemblance  to  the  d'Or- 
leans family,  and  her  supporters  contended  that  Louis 
Philippe  bore  no  resemblance  to  the  Bourbons,  and 
that  he  was  vulgar  in  appearance  and  uncouth  in 
manners !  Marie  Amcjlie,  when  she  first  saw  him, 
M^as  struck  by  the  Bourbon  features,  and  at  a  later 
date  Cuvillier  Fleury  said  :  "  Were  King  Louis  Phil- 
ippe to  put  on  the  costume  of  that  reign  he  would  be 
the  living  image  of  his  ancestor  Louis  XIV." 

The  sons  of  Louis  Philippe  were  remarkably  hand- 
some, distinguished-looking  men,  the  Due  de  Nc^mours 
being  always  said  to  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to 
Henri  IV.    As  to  manners,  Louis  XVIII.  who  was  no 

^  See  Les  Enigmes  de  I'Histoire  :  Philippe  Egalit^et  Chiappini, 
par  M.  Maurice  Vitrac,  de  la  Biblioth6que  Nationale.     Paris,  1907. 
2  His  father  the  old  Due  d'Orleans  was  still  alive,  so  his  title 
was  then  Chartres. 

76 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

mean  judge,  and  who  detested  Louis  Philippe,  said 
after  their  first  interview  when  the  Revohition  was 
over:  "The  Due  d'Orlc^ans  both  in  manners  and  ap 
pearance  is  far  superior  to  the  princes  of  the  elder 
branch  of  the  House  of  Bourbon,  my  nephews  the 
Dues  d'Angouleme  and  Berry." 

In  1824  Lady  Newborough  appealed  to  the  Court 
of  the  Bishop  of  Faenza,  in  whose  diocese  her  baptism 
took  place,  for  an  amending  of  her  baptismal  certifi- 
cate. The  Court  found  as  follows  :  "  It  is  plainly 
proved  that  Comte  Louis  de  Joinville  exchanged  his 
daughter  for  the  son  of  Lorenzo  Chiappini,  and  that 
Demoiselle  de  Joinville  was  baptised  under  the  name 
of  Maria  Stella,  with  the  false  statement  that  she  was 
the  daughter  of  L.  Chiappini  and  wife." 

The  copy  of  the  paper  authorising  the  alteration  of 
the  baptismal  certificate  was  signed  by  the  Vicar- 
General.  Stella,  Lady  Newborough,  made  a  request 
to  the  Tribunal  of  the  Seine  that  this  act  of  birth 
might  be  considered  valid  in  France,  which  was  re- 
fused, as  it  did  not  prove  the  descent  or  domicile  of 
the  so-called  Comte  and  Comtesse  de  Joinville. 

When  Lady  Newborough  advertised  for  the  Comte 
de  Joinville,  Louis  Philippe  sent  his  uncle  the  Abb6 
St.  Fare  to  ask  what  she  wanted,  and  on  hearing  her 
story  he  submitted  the  matter  to  the  great  lawyer 
Dupin,  who  ridiculed  her  claims,  for  it  was  known  that 
the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres  were  not  in  Italy 
in  April,  1773,  the  date  of  the  birth  of  Maria  Stella. 

Records  of  public  events  in  newspapers  of  that 
period  prove  that  Egalit6  was  in  Paris  at  that  time. 

77 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

And  it  is  related  that  when  about  that  time  he  asked 
permission  to  go  to  Toulon  the  King  refused,  saying 
the  Duo  de  Chartres  ought  to  stay  with  his  wife,  who 
was  in  an  interesting  condition,  and  the  law  of  France 
would  not  allow  her,  a  princess  of  the  blood,  to  leave 
the  country  while  in  that  condition,  so  she  could  not 
have  been  at  Modigliana  in  April,  1773.  It  would 
have  been  very  difficult  to  substitute  a  changeling 
born  in  April  for  an  infant  born  in  October  (which 
was  the  date  of  the  birth  of  Louis  Philippe) ;  when 
many  witnesses  were  in  the  room,  as  was  customary 
at  the  birth  of  princes  of  the  blood,  and  the  new- 
born infant  would  be  passed  round  for  inspection  by 
ministers,  officials  and  members  of  the  family.  Would 
they  all  allow  themselves  to  be  duped,  and  shut  their 
eyes  and  speak  no  word  ? 

Maria  Stella  published  her  Memoirs,  which  were, 
however,  confiscated  by  the  police.  She  was  under 
surveillance,  but  never  molested,  though  she  used  to 
place  transparent  sketches  of  herself  and  the  d'Orl^ans 
family  in  the  windows  of  her  house  in  Paris  and  illu- 
minate them  at  night  that  passers-by  might  compare 
the  likeness.  The  caricaturists  got  hold  of  the  story 
and  circulated  many  offensive  pictures  of  King  Chiap- 
pini.  His  opponents  used  the  story  as  a  stick  to  beat 
the  d'0rl6anists  with,  though,  had  the  story  been  true 
and  had  Louis  Philippe  been  illegitimate,  it  would  not 
have  affected  his  position  as  King  of  the  French, 
elected  by  the  will  of  the  people,  although  not  became 
he  was  a  Bourbon. 

We  now  give  a  copy  of  the  register  of  the  birth  of 

78 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Louis  Philippe,  extracted  from  the  National  Archives, 
1773:—^ 

"  In  this  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
seventy-three,  Wednesday,  6th  October,  the  very  high 
powerful  and  excellent  Prince,  son  of  Monseigneur  le 
Due  de  Chartres,  Prince  of  the  Blood,  and  of  the 
very  high  powerful  and  excellent  Princess,  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Chartres,  Princess  of  the  Blood,  born 
this  morning  at  a  quarter  to  four  o'clock,  has  been 
privately  baptised  at  the  Palais  Royal  (by  express 
permission  of  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  dated  last  7th 
September),  by  M.  Andr6  Gautier,  Doctor  of  the  Sor- 
bonne  and  Almoner  to  M.  the  Due  de  Chartres,  in 
our  presence  (Cur6  de  St.  Eustache)  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  very  high  and  excellent  Prince,  Monseig- 
neur the  Due  de  Penthievre,  and  of  M.  Louis  Comte 
de  Shouberg,  Chamberlain  of  Monsiegneur  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  and  of  M.  le  Comte  de  Hanolstein. 
"  Signed — L.  P.  J.  d'Orleans. 

*'  L.  J.  M.  DE  Bourbon. 

"  L.  Comte  de  Shouberg. 

"  P.  A.  Comte  de  Hanolstein. 

"  Gautier  de  Pompart  CuRf." 

^  All  the  assertions  connected  with  the  proofs  of  the  birth  of 
Louis  Philippe  are  founded  on  irreproachable  testimony — on  docu- 
ments in  the  National  Archives  from  the  series  containing  the  papers 
of  the  d'Orleans,  Bourbon  and  Penthievre  famihes.  Some  are  at 
the  Bibhoth^que  Mazarin,  others  at  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
others  at  the  Bibliotheque  de  I'Arsenal — where  the  papers  of  the 
police  are  preserved — and  at  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale.  Volumes 
containing  Archives  of  Bastille  and  the  Gazette  of  France  of  that 
period  have  been  consulted,  and  the  results  published  under  the 
direction  of  M.  Vitrac,  of  the  Bibhotheque  Nationale. 

79 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

The  above  is  taken  from  the  Register  of  Royal 
Baptisms  at  Versailles,  and  the  extract  signed  by  the 
Curator  of  Archives.  As  to  the  witnesses  of  the  birth, 
when  the  first  signs  of  the  coming  accouchement  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Chartres  were  perceived,  notice  was 
sent  to  the  family  and  M.  le  Prince  de  Conde  and  the 
Due  de  Bourbon  soon  joined  the  Dues  de  Penthievre 
and  de  Chartres  and  were  present  at  the  birth  ;  a  few 
minutes  after  the  birth  the  child's  grandfather,  the 
Due  d'Orl^ans,  arrived  in  haste  from  the  country,  the 
Duchesse  de  Bourbon  from  Chantilly,  the  Prince  de 
Conti  from  ITsle  Adam  ;  and  in  their  presence  the 
infant  was  baptised. 

In  the  afternoon  the  King  and  Princes  sent  their 
congratulations  by  special  messengers. 

Three  notaries  prepared  the  Act  of  Birth  of  this 
prince  of  the  blood,  and  it  was  sent  to  the  King, 
who  signed  it  in  the  presence  of  the  dukes  and 
peers. 

There  were  great  rejoicings  on  the  d'Orl^ans  es- 
tates, and  when  the  young  heir,  who  was  called  the 
Due  de  Valois,  was  seen,  carried  by  his  nurse,  in  the 
gardens  of  the  Palais  Royal,  he  was  surrounded  by 
people  who  wished  to  have  a  look  at  him.  The  Due 
de  Chartres,  his  father,  gave  orders  that  at  certain 
hours  any  one  after  signing  their  name  in  the  visitors' 
book  might  go  and  see  the  child  in  his  nursery.  Great 
numbers  availed  themselves  of  the  permission,  and 
this  made  the  d'Orl^ans  family  feel  that  they  were,  as 
ever,  the  most  popular  of  royal  princes. 

The  Due  de  Penthievre  presented  his  daughter 

bO 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

with  a  gift  of  jewellery,  royal  in  magnificence.  When 
she  was  sufficiently  recovered  she,  with  her  husband, 
her  father  and  other  relatives  and  all  the  Palais  Koyal 
circle  of  friends  were  present  at  a  Te  Deum  in  honour 
of  the  birth  of  her  son,  sung  at  the  Church  of  St. 
Eustache. 

The  Duchesse  de  Chartres  had  not  recovered  her 
strength  sufficiently  to  enable  her  to  be  present  at  the 
marriage  festivities  of  the  Comte  d'Artois,  which 
began  on  14th  November,  and  it  was  not  till  the  12th 
December,  1773,  that  she  made  her  first  appearance 
at  Court  after  the  birth  of  her  son,  and  received  the 
congratulations  of  the  King  and  Queen. 

Louis  Philippe  was  not  baptised  till  1788,  when 
Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  Antoinette  were  godparents, 
and  all  the  royal  family  were  present. 

I  think  the  above  particulars  dispose  of  the  pre- 
tensions of  Maria  Stella,  Lady  Newborough,  which, 
had  they  been  substantiated,  would  have  disqualified 
the  sons  and  descendants  of  Louis  Philij^pe  from  in- 
heriting the  d'Orl^ans  estates. 

The  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres  had  three 
sons  and  twin  daughters,  of  whom  only  one.  Princess 
Adelaide,  lived  to  grow  up.  No  account  of  the  career 
of  Louis  Philippe  ^  could  be  adequate  without  some 
notice  of  the  remarkable  woman  to  whom  his  educa- 
tion and  that  of  his  sister  and  brothers  was  entrusted, 
and  who  exercised  so  marked  an  influence  over  the 

^  Louis  XVIII.  always  called  Louis  Philippe  the  chef  d'czuvre 
of  Mme.  de  Genlis,  and  said :  "  He  was  very  manly,  but  owed  it 
to  a  woman  ", 

81  6 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

characters  of  her  pupils,  and  also,  it  may  be  said, 
over  the  fortunes  of  the  d'OrMans  family. 

Felicity,  daughter  of  the  Marquis  de  St.  Aubin, 
was  born  in  1746,  of  a  poor  though  noble  family  of 
the  Loire.  The  nobility  of  her  birth  has  been 
sometimes  disputed,  but  as  the  genealogical  proofs 
of  her  noble  descent  had  to  be  carefully  examined 
before  she  could  be  admitted  as  canoness  of  the 
Noble  Chapter  of  Alix  near  Lyons,  and  she  became 
a  member  of  that  order  when  six  years  old,  the 
question  of  her  birth  is  satisfactorily  settled.  When 
they  grew  up  the  canonesses  were  free  to  take  vows 
or  not.  If  they  did  they  obtained  a  good  pension  and 
one  of  the  little  houses,  each  with  its  garden,  grouped 
around  the  great  Church  and  Abbaye.  If  they  did 
not  take  vows  they  only  received  the  title  of  countess 
and  the  decoration  of  the  order.  This  was  the  case 
with  Felicity  de  St.  Aubin,  who  received  the  title  of 
Comtesse  de  Lancy.  When  the  Comtesse  de  Lancy 
was  twelve  years  old  her  parents  moved  to  Paris. 
She  displayed  unusual  abilities,  and  great  pains  was 
taken  with  her  education ;  her  musical  and  dramatic 
talents  made  a  sensation,  her  playing  of  the  harp 
being  specially  admired.  Though  without  fortune 
she  was  a  remarkably  fascinating  young  lady,  and 
there  were  several  suitors  for  her  hand  before  she 
was  sixteen.  She  finally  made  a  runaway  marriage 
with  the  Comte  de  Genlis,  a  naval  officer,  brother  of 
the  Marquis  de  Genlis.  Though  belonging  to  an 
ancient  and  wealthy  family,  the  Comte  de  Genlis, 
being  a   younger   son,  could  not  afford  to  marry  a 

82 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

penniless  girl,  and  to  escape  the  opposition  of  the 
families  to  the  match  the  young  people  took  the  law 
into  their  own  hands.  After  the  marriage  Felicity 
soon  fascinated  her  husband's  relations,  and  the  head 
of  the  family,  the  wealthy  Marquise  de  Puisieux,  pre- 
sented her  at  Versailles,  after  the  birth  of  her  first 
child.  The  young  Comtesse  de  Genlis  was  much 
admired  and  sought  after,  and  finally  through  the 
influence  of  her  aunt,  Madame  de  Montesson,  who 
had  been  privately  married  to  the  Due  d'Orl^ans,i 
she  was  appointed  lady-in-waiting  to  the  Duchesse 
de  Chartres,  wife  of  the  eldest  son  of  the  Due 
d'Orl^ans,  first  prince  of  the  blood. 

Madame  de  Genlis  was  exceedingly  attractive, 
pretty  and  accomplished,  and  so  amusing  that  it  was 
impossible  to  be  dull  in  her  company.  She  soon 
obtained  unbounded  influence  over  both  the  Due 
and  Duchesse  de  Chartres,  and  in  due  course  was 
appointed  first  governess  to  their  twin  daughters,  and 
afterwards  "governor"  of  their  three  sons.  Probably 
there  was  no  one  in  France  at  that  day  better  able 
to  educate  children  born  to  a  high  position  than  Mme. 
de  Genlis.  She  was  wide-minded  and  really  fond  of 
study  and  learning,  and  all  her  life  had  quite  a  mania 
for  teaching,  which  showed  itself  when  she  was  a 
child  in  her  gathering  together  the  village  children 
round  her,  and  rehearsing  to  them  the  instruction 
she  herself  had  received  from  her  governess.  Through 
all  the  vicissitudes  of  her  life,  and  even  when  she  was 

^  She  was  his  second  wife  and  the  marriage  was  morganatic. 

83 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

quite  an  old  woman,  she  always  had  some  young  girl 
living  with  her  whom  she  was  educating. 

The  Due  de  Chartres  spent  much  time  in  talking 
with  Mme.  de  Genlis,  and  used  to  discuss  all  family 
matters  with  her.  One  day  he  complained  that  his 
sons  spoke  with  the  accent  of  Parisian  shop  boys  and 
had  manners  to  match ;  they  could  no  longer  be 
left  to  the  care  of  servants,  a  tutor  must  be  found. 
Mme.  de  Genlis  proposed  first  one  and  then  another, 
but  none  found  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Duke.  At 
last  she  said  :  '*  How  should  /  do  ? " 

The  Duke  was  delighted  and  Mme.  de  Genlis 
was  gazetted  as  "Governor  of  the  sons  of  the  Due 
de  Chartres".  Mme.  de  Genlis  gives  an  amusing 
account  of  her  first  relations  with  Louis  Philippe. 
She  says  : ^  "At  eight  years  old  M.  le  Due  de  Valois 
was  idle  and  inattentive  to  an  unheard  of  degree. 
On  the  first  occasion  of  his  coming  to  me  for  instruc- 
tion I  began  to  read  aloud  a  tale  from  French  history 
and  I  was  extremely  surprised  to  see  him  lie  down 
on  the  sofa  and  put  his  feet  on  the  table  at  which 
we  were  sitting.  Nor  did  he  listen  to  my  reading, 
but  yawned  and  stretched  himself.  In  order  that 
we  might  understand  one  another  I  at  once  put  him 
in  the  corner.  I  had  to  cure  him  of  silly  habits  and 
the  use  of  vulgar  expressions,  but  however  much  I 
scolded  him  he  bore  no  ill-will.  From  the  first  I  was 
struck  by  the  good  sense  that  seemed  natural  to  him, 
and  by  his  astonishing  memory.  He  became  passion- 
ately attached  to  me." 

^  Memoires  de  Mme.  de  Genlis. 
84 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

In  after  years  Mme.  de  Genlis  said  of  him : 
"  He  learned  everything,  remembered  everything  and 
formed  his  own  opinions  on  it.  There  was  hardly  any 
department  of  knowledge  or  art  in  which  he  was  not 
at  home."  This  he  owed  to  Mme.  de  Genlis,  for  he 
remained  under  her  supervision  till  he  attained  the 
age  of  seventeen. 

Taking  her  duties  seriously,  Mme.  de  Genlis  re 
solved  to  leave  the  Court  and  devote  herself  entirely 
to  the  care  and  education  of  the  children.  At  her 
request  the  Due  de  Chartres  took  a  house  for  them 
at  Bellechasse  in  the  suburbs  of  Paris  where  she 
established  herself  with  the  twin  princesses,  one  of 
whom  died  of  small-pox  when  five  years  old.  The 
young  princes,  Louis  Philippe,  then  called  Comte  de 
Valois,  and  his  brothers  the  Due  de  Montpensier  and 
the  Comte  de  Beaujolais,  slept  at  the  Palais  Royal, 
the  town  residence  of  the  House  of  Orleans,  and  were 
escorted  to  Bellechasse  by  their  tutors  every  morning. 

The  nephew  and  niece  of  Mme.  de  Genlis,  Caesar 
Ducrest  and  Henrietta  de  Searcey  shared  the  edu- 
cation of  the  d'Orl^ans  children. 

The  Pavilion  at  Bellechasse  where  they  pursued 
their  studies  was  fitted  up  with  all  necessary  appli- 
ances, the  walls  were  adorned  with  historical  and  my- 
thological paintings  and  maps. 

Mme.  de  Genlis  wished  to  make  her  pupils  hardy — 
none  but  the  plainest  food  was  served ;  Princess 
Adelaide  had  to  sleep  on  a  hard  bed  and  get  up  at 
six  every  morning.  After  their  regular  hours  of  study 
were   over,  the  young  people   had   no  respite,  even 

85 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

I 

their  recreations  were  made  to  serve  the  purpose  of 
education.^  After  dinner  they  had  no  play,  they  had 
to  take  turns  in  reading  aloud  historical  books  or  to 
listen  while  Mme.  de  Genlis  read  to  them  works  she 
had  composed  for  their  benefit.  They  were  expected 
to  make  comment,  and  if  their  remarks  were  point- 
less or  badly  expressed,  their  preceptress  let  them 
see  her  displeasure.  Another  amusement  was  to  act 
scenes  in  history,  and  the  boys  fought  again  celebrated 
battles  or  sieges  in  the  garden.  Sometimes  they 
were  all  taken  to  Paris  to  visit  museums,  picture-galler- 
ies, or  manufactories,  details  as  to  which  had  been  pre- 
viously communicated  to  them  from  the  pages  of  En- 
cyclopaedias. Mademoiselle  de  Navailles  ^  relates  how 
she  once  accompanied  the  party  on  one  of  these 
expeditions.  They  visited  a  pin  factory,  and  another 
establishment  where  vinegar  and  mustard  were  made. 
Some  of  the  party  paid  no  attention,  but  made  jokes 
amongst  themselves,  which  annoyed  Mme.  de  Genlis. 
She  spoke  to  them  severely,  reproached  the  princes 
for  making  no  remarks  on  what  they  saw,  and  forbade 
the  young  ladies  to  talk. 

Every  Saturday  Mme.  de  Genlis  received  a  select 
society  at  Bellechasse,  at  first  composed  of  literary 
and  artistic  people  and  scientific  professors,  but  later 
on  of  all  the  Kevohitionary  leaders.  At  these  gather- 
ings her  pupils  were  always  present.     She  wished  to 

^  The  boys  were  taught  carpentering,  in  which  Louis  Philippe 
became  very  proficient. 

-'  She  became  Mme.  de  Gontaut,  and  left  Mdmoires.  Governess 
of  children  of  Due  de  Berry. 

86 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

accustom  them  to  social  intercourse  and  to  form  their 
manners. 

Mr.  Swinburne,  who  was  in  Paris,  1766,  says  in 
his  journal :  "  14th  January.  Spent  the  evening  at 
Bellechasse  with  Mme.  de  Sillery.^  The  Due  de 
Chartres  (Louis  Philippe)  is  very  well  educated  and 
well  mannered,  but  rather  formal  and  dressy.  Beau- 
jolais  is  a  fine  spirited  boy.  Mile.  Adelaide  petite, 
but  pretty." 

The  Duchesse  de  Orleans  was  for  many  years  very 
fond  of  Mme.  de  Genlis,  and  blind  to  the  nature  of 
the  intimacy  between  the  Due  and  the  Gouvernante. 
Considering  the  character  of  the  Due  d'Orl^ans,  it  was 
not  surprising  that  Mme.  de  Sillery-Genlis'  reputation 
suffered,  though  she  always  protested  her  perfect 
innocence,  and  as  it  was  well  known  that  the  Due  had 
had  many  mistresses  it  is  difficult  to  see  why  Mme. 
de  Genlis  should  have  been  pitched  upon  as  the  alleged 
cause  of  the  estrangement  of  the  Due  and  Duchesse 
d'Orl^ans.  It  was  more  on  account  of  the  latter's 
disapproval  of  the  tone  of  the  education  imparted 
by  Mme.  de  Genlis,'^  her  horror  of  the  new  revolu- 
tionary ideas,  and  her  dislike  that  her  children  should 
associate  as  they  did  with  the  leaders  of  that  party, 
that  the  Duchesse  demanded  the  dismissal  of  the 
Gouvernante.     It  is  certain  that  Mme.  de  Genlis  had 

^  The  Comte  de  Genlis  had  inherited  the  estate  and  title  of 
Sillery.  Louis  Philippe  was  now  Due  de  Chartres,  his  grandfather 
having  died. 

-  Mme.  de  Genlis  gave  balls  at  Bellechasse,  where  her  pupils 
danced  to  the  tune  of  "  Qa  ira,"  and  she  wore  a  tricolour  robe. 

87 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

estranged  the  children's  affection.  The  three  eldest 
certainly  preferred  her  to  their  mother  and  were  en- 
tirely under  her  influence. 

The  Duchesse  left  the  Palais  Royal  and  refused 
to  return  till  Mme.  de  Genlis  had  been  dismissed. 
The  latter  had  to  go,  but  Adelaide  d'0rl6ans  was  so 
devoted  to  her  governess  that  she  fell  dangerously  ill 
from  her  distress  at  the  separation,  and  Mme.  de 
Genlis  was  recalled. 

Her  literary  reputation  stood  very  high,  and  she  is 
accused  of  spreading  the  influences  which  afterwards 
caused  the  French  Revolution.  Like  many  others 
she  was  impressed  with  the  crying  evils  of  the  time 
and  the  poverty  and  misery  of  the  French  people,  and 
welcomed  the  new  ideas  of  freedom  and  equality 
as  the  beginning  of  a  new  era,  when  wrongs  should  be 
redressed  and  the  happiness  of  humanity  be  secured. 
Little  did  they  think  they  were  unchaining  forces  that 
they  would  be  unable  to  control,  and  preparing  the 
way  for  horrors  from  which  they  shrank  in  abhor- 
rence. Most  of  them  fell  victims  to  the  ruin  and 
death  which  they  had  brought  on  others. 

What  is  inexcusable,  if  true,  is  the  part  Mme.  de 
Genlis  played  in  the  circulation  of  infamous  pamphlets 
concerning  the  Queen  and  Court ;  she  is  credited  with 
being  the  author  of  some  of  them. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  had  always  been  the  leader  of 
the  popular  party  against  the  Court.  He  detested 
Marie  Antoinette.^     He  was  supposed  to  aim  at  the 

^  It  is  said  because  she  interfered  to  prevent  the  marriage  of  his 
daughter,  Princess  Adelaide,  with  the  Due  d'Angouleme,    son  of 

88 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

throne.  At  one  time  he  was  the  idol  of  the  mob,  who 
used  to  cry  :  "  Vive  le  roi  d'Orl^ans,"  and  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Revolution  the  d'Orleans'  liveries  were 
the  only  ones  not  insulted  by  the  mob.  Eventually 
these  colours,  the  red,  white  and  blue,  became  the 
emblem  of  the  Revolution,  the  tricolour  flag. 

Mme.  de  Genlis  even  took  her  pupils  to  the  Cor- 
deliers' Club,  where  they  saw  "  cobblers,  porters  and 
the  lowest  classes  with  their  wives  mounting  the 
tribune  and  shouting  against  nobles,  priests  and  the 
rich  ". 

Louis  Philippe  was  made  a  member  of  the  Jaco- 
bins' Club.  However,  the  d'Orleanist  party  was  soon 
swamped  by  the  Extremists. 

In  the  list,  published  1792,  of  heads  on  which  a 
price  was  set  by  order  of  the  Assembl^e  des  Feuillants 
the  name  of  Philippe  Egalit^  appeared  ;  against  it  was 
set  the  following  description  :  "  He  was  for  many 
years  a  rogue,  a  gambler  and  a  libertine,  but  in  con- 
sideration of  the  services  he  rendered  to  the  country 
in  the  hour  of  danger,  though  he  was  actuated  by 
interested  motives,  he  will  only  be  deprived  of  his 
rights  to  the  throne  ".^ 

The  state  of  affairs  was  so  precarious  in  1791  that 
the  Due  d'Orleans  begged  Mme.  de  Genlis  to  take 
his  daughter,  Princess  Adelaide,  to  England  to  be  out 

Comte  d'Artois,  and,  in  the   event   of   Dauphin's  death,  heir  to 
crown. 

^  He  himself  said  he  never  aimed  at  the  crown,  his  only  ambi- 
tion being  to  live  as  an  English  squire,  which  position  he  thought 
most  enviable. 

89 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  the  way.  They  remained  there  a  year  and  were 
recalled  to  France  by  the  Due  d'Orleans  in  order  to 
prevent  the  Princess  Adelaide  being  placed  on  the  list 
of  emigres,  which  entailed  loss  of  rights  as  a  French 
citizen  and  confiscation  of  property. 

On  the  return  to  France,  Mme.  de  Genlis  heard 
from  her  husband  that  Philippe  Egalite  was  doomed  ; 
he  was  no  longer  of  use  to  the  Terrorists  and  they 
meant  to  get  rid  of  him.* 

Mme.  de  Genlis  had  delayed  obeying  the  sum- 
mons and  arrived  too  late  to  prevent  the  Princess 
Adelaide  being  placed  on  the  list  of  emigres.  France 
was  no  safe  place  for  her,  and  her  father  implored 
Mme.  de  Genlis,  who  wished  to  resign  her  post,  to 
take  his  daughter  across  the  frontier  to  Tournay. 

In  her  Memoires  Mme.  de  Genlis  gives  an  account 
of  the  farewell  at  Raincy.  "  We  started  next  morn- 
ing.    M.  le  Due  gave  me  his  arm  to  the  carriage  ;  he 

^  Mme.  de  Genlis,  though  seeing  very  little  of  him,  was  always 
on  perfectly  good  terms  with  her  husband,  who,  though  at  jfirst  an 
admirer  of  revolutionary  ideas,  was  a  humane  and  honourable  man, 
and  viewed  the  excesses  of  the  revolutionaries  with  horror.  After 
recording  his  vote  against  the  death  of  Louis  XVI.  he  circulated 
copies  of  his  opinion  on  that  event,  in  which  he  said  :  "I  did  not 
vote  for  the  King's  death — 

"  1st.  Because  he  did  not  deserve  it. 

"  2nd.  Because  we  have  no  right  to  judge  hira. 

"  3rd.  Because  I  consider  it  the  greatest  political  mistake  that 
could  be  made." 

Sillery-Genlis  knew  that  he  was  signing  his  own  death-warrant 
in  publishing  this  declaration,  but  almost  mad  with  horror  at  the 
state  of  France,  and  disgusted  with  life,  he  was  indifferent  to  his 
fate.     He  was  beheaded  in  1796.  ,, 

90 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

was  pale  and  trembling.  T  was  much  agitated  ;  Made- 
moiselle was  in  tears.  When  we  were  in  the  carriage 
the  Due  d'Orl^ans  stood  in  silence  by  the  door  with 
his  eyes  fixed  upon  me  ;  his  gloomy,  sorrowful  look 
seemed  to  implore  pity  ;  he  seemed  to  forbode  the 
fate  awaiting  him.  I  held  out  my  hand,  which  he 
pressed,  then  he  signed  to  the  postilion  to  start. 
Neither  I  nor  his  daughter  ever  saw  him  again." 

The  Due  de  Chartres,  Louis  PhiHppe,  escorted  his 
sister  to  Tournay.  At  this  time  the  trial  of  Louis 
XVI.  was  taking  place.  Philippe  Egalite  when  voting 
for  his  death  said  his  soul  and  conscience  required 
him  to  do  so.  But  history  relates  that  as  he  pro- 
nounced the  vote  even  Terrorists  shook  their 
heads,  and  a  groan  and  shudder  ran  through  the 
assembly. 

His  name  was  execrated  throughout  Europe,  and 
when  he  visited  England  and  appeared  in  Vaux- 
hall  Gardens  he  was  shunned  as  if  he  had  the 
pest. 

His  own  days  were  numbered  ;  he  had  exhausted 
much  of  his  wealth,  which  he  had  spent  for  Revolu- 
tionary purposes,  and  was  no  longer  useful  to  his  party, 
who  had  long  got  beyond  the  idea  of  a  constitutional 
monarchy  or  indeed  any  kind  of  government  with  a 
king  at  its  head. 

"  One  king  no  sooner  guillotined  than  another 
made  in  his  stead  ?  No !  the  French  patriots  will 
have  the  whole  race  of  Bourbons  cleared  off  the 
soil  of  France  with  Egalit6  to  bring  up  the  rear. 
Poor  Orleans  Egalite,  one  ever  begins  to  pity  him. 

91 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Rejected  of  all  parties,  to  what  corner  of  Nature  can 
he  drift  for  safety  ? "  ' 

It  was  said  that  he  was  observed  sitting  in  a  cab 
in  the  Place  de  la  Revolution  to  witness  the  execu- 
tion of  Louis  XVI.  When  he  himself  was  brought 
to  trial,  his  vote  was  one  of  the  crimes  alleged  against 
him.  He  had  been  arrested  in  Paris  while  playing 
whist  at  the  Palais  Egalit6  (so  the  Palais  Royal  was 
then  called),  transported  to  Marseilles  where  he  was 
imprisoned,  and  remained  in  durance  six  months  and 
was  then  brought  back  to  Paris. 

"  His  indictment  was  soon  drawn,  his  jury  soon 
convinced.  He  finds  himself  made  guilty  of  Royalism 
and  conspiracy,  nay  it  is  a  guilt  in  him  that  he  voted 
the  King's  death,  though  he  answers,  '  I  voted  in  my 
soul  and  conscience '.  The  doom  he  himself  finds  is 
death.  6th  November,  1793,  is  the  last  day  that 
Philippe  is  to  see.  On  that  morning  he  called  for 
breakfast,  oysters,  two  cutlets,  best  part  of  an  ex- 
cellent bottle  of  claret,  and  consumed  it  with  relish. 
An  emissary  from  the  Convention  came  saying  that 
he  might  still  render  service  to  the  State  by  telling 
the  truth  about  a  plot  or  two.  Philippe  answered 
that  in  the  pass  things  had  come  to,  the  State  had 
small  claim  on  him,  but  in  the  interests  of  Liberty  he 
was  willing  to  give  reasonable  answers  to  reasonable 
questions,  and  leaning  his  elbow  on  the  mantel-piece  he 
conversed  in  an  undertone  with  great  composure  till 
the  summons  came.  At  the  door  of  the  Conciergerie 
his  attitude  was  erect  and  easy,  almost  commanding. 

^  See  Carlyle's  French  Revolution.  The  unapproachable  work  of 
genius  which  will  always  rank  as  one  of  the  great  books  of  the  world. 

92 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

''Three  poor  blackguards  were  to  die  with  him  ;  it 
is  said  they  objected  to  ride  in  his  company,  and  had 
to  be  flung  in  neck  and  crop.  The  gallows  vehicle 
gets  under  way.  Philippe's  dress  is  remarked  for  its 
elegance,  green  frock-coat,  waistcoat  of  white  piqu6, 
yellow  buckskins,  polished  patent  leather  boots  ;  his 
air  entirely  composed,  impassive,  even  easy.  The 
tumbril  passed  slowly  through  the  streets  amid  exe- 
crations. The  cruel  populace  stopped  him  for  some 
minutes  at  the  home  of  his  ancestors  the  Palais  Royal, 
in  front  of  which  in  huge  tricolor  letters  was  written : 
'National  Property'.  For  one  instant  Philippe's 
eyes  flashed  Hell-Fire,  but  the  next  instant  he  sat 
impassive.  On  the  scaffold  Samson  was  for  drawing 
off  his  boots  :  '  Tush '  said  Philippe,  '  they  will  come 
oflf  better  after;  let  us  have  done,  depichons  noits\ 
His  last  words.  He  was  not  then  entirely  without 
good  qualities,  such  as  courage.  God  forbid  that 
any  living  man  should  be  without  virtue  of  some  kind. 
But  probably  no  mortal  ever  had  worse  things  recorded 
against  him."^ 

Louis  Philippe  was  with  his  sister  at  Tournay 
when  they  heard  of  the  execution  of  Louis  XVI. 
They  were  horrified,  and  more  especially  at  their 
father's  share  in  the  matter. 

Louis  Philippe  wrote  to  his  father  in  terms  which 
it  is  said  Philippe  Egalite  never  forgave,  and  said  he 
would  never  come  back  to  France.  Louis  Philippe 
had  fought  bravely  in  the  Republican  army  against 

^  See  Carlyle's  French  Bevohotion. 
93 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

the  allied  forces  that  were  invading  France,  and  dis- 
ting^iiished  himself  by  his  conspicuous  bravery  at  the 
Battles  of  Valmy  and  Jemappes.^ 

But  the  Convention  suspected  their  General 
Dumouriez,  of  Royalist  sympathies  and  a  desire  to 
enter  into  a  treaty  with  Austria  which  had  for  its 
object  the  placing  of  Louis  Philippe  on  the  throne  of 
France.  Commissioners  were  sent  to  arrest  both 
Dumouriez  and  Louis  Philippe,  who  had  at  that  time 
gone  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  sister  at  Tournay.  Dumou- 
riez had  accompanied  him,  wishing  to  pay  his  respects 
to  the  Princess  d'Orleans.  She  had  been  condemned 
to  death  "  for  contumacy,"  and  it  was  felt  she  was  no 
longer  safe  at  Tournay.  Mme.  de  Genlis  intended 
going  on  into  Switzerland  and  wished  to  leave  Ade- 
laide d'Orleans  in  the  charge  of  her  brother  and  Du- 
mouriez, but  they  themselves  were  in  danger  of  arrest 
and  knew  that  their  troops  were  in  a  state  of  insur- 
rection. Mme.  de  Genlis  had  made  her  own  pre- 
parations for  departure,  but  had  not  told  Princess 
Adelaide  of  this,  wishing  to  avoid  a  painful  farewell 
scene. 

"  On  a  cold  grey  April  morning,  established  in  her 
hired  vehicle  on  the  streets  of  St.  Amand,  Mme.  de 
Genlis  was  on  the  point  of  starting,  postilions  were 
cracking  their  whips,  when  Louis  Philippe  (who  had 
previously  used  every  effort  to  induce  Mme.  de  Genlis 
to  take  his  sister  with  her)  appeared  on  the  scene.    He 

1  Dumouriez  spoke  of  him  as  the  bravest  among  the  brave,  and 
said,  "  Far  from  desiring  to  ascend  the  throne,  he  would  have  fled  to 
the  end  of  the  earth  to  avoid  it  ". 

94 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

had  clutched  the  young  Princess  from  her  bed  and  bore 
her  in  his  arms  in  her  nightdress  and  dressing-gown  ; 
he  pushed  her  into  the  carriage  among  the  bandboxes. 
A  shrill  scene,  but  a  brief  one,  and  off  they  go,  through 
by-roads  and  hill-passes,  and  perils  of  conflicting 
armies  safe  into  Switzerland,  but  almost  moneyless.  "  ^ 

Louis  Philippe  up  to  the  present  time  had  been 
warmly  attached  to  Mme.  de  Genlis  and  completely 
under  her  influence.  He  had  an  immense  admiration 
for  her,  as  a  very  young  man  admires  a  fascinating 
woman  older  than  himself,"  but  her  egoism  on  this 
occasion  opened  his  eyes  and  entirely  changed  his 
feelings  towards  her  from  that  time  forth. 

After  the  Conference  at  Ath  the  Due  de  Chartres 
was  himself  obliged  to  fly  from  the  French  army  ;  he 
travelled  through  Germany  in  a  dogcart  and  rejoined 
his  sister  at  Schaff'hausen.  At  Frankfort  he  read  in 
a  newspaper  a  report  of  a  sitting  of  the  Convention 
in  which  it  had  been  said,  "  Let  us  put  a  price  on  the 
head  of  all  fugitive  Bourbons.  I  have  already  de- 
manded the  death  of  the  Due  d'Orleans." 

Adelaide  d'Orleans  with  her  brother  and  Mme.  de 
Genlis  moved  from  one  place  to  another  in  Switzer- 
land. As  soon  as  it  was  found  out  who  they  were  the 
authorities  refused  to  allow  them  to  remain. 

At  last  General  Montesquiou  Fezensac,  a  deputy 

^  Cai-lyle's  French  Revolution. 

'^  In  his  journal,  1st  Jan.,  1791  (he  was  then  eighteen)  he  wrote  : 
"  I  was  the  first  to  have  the  pleasure  of  wishing  my  good  friend 
Mme.  de  Genlis  a  happy  New  Year.  I  do  not  know  what  would 
become  of  me  if  I  had  to  leave  her." 

95 


/ 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  the  nobility  of  1789,  who  had  taken  refuge  in 
Switzerland  and  had  rendered  important  services  to 
the  City  of  Geneva,  found  an  asylum  for  Mile.  d'Or- 
le'ans  and  Mme.  de  Genlis  in  a  convent  at  Bremgarten. 
To  Louis  Philippe  the  General  said  :  "  The  only  thing 
for  you  to  do  is  to  wander  about  in  the  mountains^ 
not  making  a  stay  anywhere/ 

He  never  saw  his  sister  again  till  fifteen  years  had 
passed.  Accompanied  only  by  his  faithful  servant 
Beaudoin  he  traversed  Switzerland  on  foot,  an  ex- 
penditure of  thirty  sous  a  day  being  the  utmost  he 
could  afford  for  food,  lodging  and  all  other  needs. 
"  When  he  had  only  thirty  francs  left  in  the  world  he 
made  his  way  back  to  Montesquiou,  who  obtained 
for  him  the  position  of  Professor  of  Mathematics  at 
the  College  of  Reichenau,  in  the  Grisons,  with  a  salary 
of  £75  per  annum.  He  assumed  the  name  of  Cha- 
baud  Latour,  an  emigrant  to  whom  the  position  had 
been  offered  but  who  failed  to  present  himself. 
Neither  the  masters  nor  pupils  knew  who  Louis 
Philippe  was,  but  he  was  much  liked  and  respected. 
M.  de  Salis,  a  gentleman  of  high  birth,  was  so  much 
pleased  with  his  manners  that  he  offered  him  the  post 
of  tutor  in  his  family.  He  was  described  as  having 
a  melancholy  air,  but  quiet  and  modest  in  manner." 

While  at  Reichenau  he  heard  of  his  father's  death, 
after  being  there  a  year.  He  was  overwhelmed  with 
grief  and  humiliation,  but  as  he  was  now  Due  d'Orl^ans 
he  felt  it  his  duty  to  take  steps  for  the  safety  of  his 

^  In  some  towns  in  Germany  placards  were  seen  announcing, 
"  Neither  Jews,  vagabonds  nor  emigrants  are  allowed  to  stay  here  ". 

9G 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELTE 

mother,  sister  and  brothers,  and  knowing  that  his 
father  had  invested  large  sums  in  England  he  wished 
to  make  an  effort  to  obtain  these  resources,  and  to 
go  with  his  family  to  America,  there  to  live  in  retire- 
ment and  forget  the  sufferings  of  his  youth  and  the 
disgrace  his  father  had  brought  on  the  name  of  Orleans. 
His  mother,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  had  been  uni- 
versally loved  and  respected  and  was  left  unmolested 
longer  than  the  other  members  of  the  family,  but  she 
had  at  last  been  imprisoned  in  the  Conciergerie,  and 
was  only  released  on  the  death  of  Robespierre,  which 
opened  so  many  prison  doors  and  saved  the  lives  of 
many  who  were  there  awaiting  death.  The  two 
younger  Orleans  princes  were  still  in  prison  at  Mar- 
seilles. Louis  Philippe  left  Reichenau,  and  getting  a 
passport  under  the  name  of  Corby  (through  the  influence 
of  a  friend,  Captain  Yost  St.  Georges)  he  went  to  visit 
his  sister  at  Bremgarten  where  he  met  an  old  friend, 
Mme.  de  Flahaut,  who  used  her  influence  with  the  late 
American  ambassador  in  Paris,  Governor  Morris,^  to 
obtain  for  him  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  transport 
him  to  England  and  America.  He  went  to  Hamburg 
to  await  this  necessary  succour.  There  he  met  many 
of  those  who  had  belonged  to  the  Constitutional  party 
in  France  whose  hopes  had  revived  after  the  death  of 
Robespierre. 

The  Comte  de  Provence,  after  the  death  of  the 
Dauphin  to  the  Temple,  had  proclaimed  his  right  to 
the  throne  under  the  title  of  Louis  XVIII. ,  but  his 

1  Morris  had  received  much  hospitahty  from  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  when  he  was  American  ambassador  in  Paris. 

97  7 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

emissaries  in  France  met  with  only  limited  encourage- 
ment, the  Royalists  promising  their  adherence  "  only  if 
Monseigneur  the  Due  d'0rl6ans  does  not  come  to 
place  himself  at  our  head".  This  induced  Louis 
XVIII.  to  try  to  come  to  an  understanding  with 
Louis  Philippe,  and  he  sent  Baron  de  Roll  with  a 
letter  written  by  his  own  hand  to  assure  Louis  Philippe 
that  he  only  required  a  viva  voce  assurance  of  repent- 
ance for  '*  wanderings  from  the  right  path  and  regret- 
table errors"  to  receive  him  as  first  prince  of  the  blood 
and  to  give  him  a  commission  in  the  army  of  Cond6. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  proved  unmanageable.  *'  Er- 
rors and  wanderings,"  he  said.  "  Does  the  King 
number  me  among  the  rebels  who  in  his  Procla- 
mation he  calls  Traitors  to  the  God  of  their  Fathers 
and  rebellious  against  the  authority  which  God  has 
ordained  to  govern  them  ?  ^ 

**  So  long  as  his  Majesty  does  not  make  known  his 
intention  of  giving  France  a  limited  monarchy,  I 
shall  consider  it  my  first  duty  not  to  participate  in 
measures  that  are  contrary  to  my  principles  and 
opinions,  which  I  cannot  and  never  will  sacrifice."' 
He  also  added  that  if  he  was  known  as  an  adherent 

^  Louis  XVIII. 's  Proclamation  on  the  death  of  his  nephew  had 
left  no  doubt  that  if  he  obtained  the  throne  he  would  place  the 
monarchy  on  exactly  the  same  footing  as  before  the  Kevolution, 
taking  no  account  of  the  changes  in  ideas  and  manners  that  had 
taken  place,  nor  of  the  desire  of  many  Loyalists  for  Constitutional 
changes. 

2  The  Emperor  of  Eussia  said  that  Louis  Philippe  was  the  only 
Bourbon  who  was  really  a  Liberal  at  heart,  or  understood  liberal 
ideas. 

98 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  Louis  XVIII.,  whose  agents  were  plotting  the  over- 
throw of  the  Directory,  he  would  compromise  the 
safety  of  his  mother  and  two  brothers  in  France. 

In  1793  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  his  mother,  had 
been  set  at  liberty,  but  her  estates  were  sequestered 
and  her  two  younger  sons  still  in  prison  in  Marseilles. 
She  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  Government 
of  the  Directory,  who  wishing  to  get  rid  of  Louis 
Philippe,  who  as  known  favourite  of  the  Constitutional 
party  was  a  danger  to  the  stability  of  the  Directory, 
agreed  to  release  the  young  princes  and  ameliorate 
the  position  of  the  Duchess  on  condition  that  they 
should  go  to  America,  and  that  their  elder  brother, 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  should  have  preceded  them  to 
that  country. 

Louis  Philippe  could  not  remain  deaf  to  his 
mother's  entreaties.  He  arrived  in  Philadelphia  in 
October,  1796,  and  was  joined  there  by  his  brothers 
in  February,  1797. 


99 


CHAPTER  V. 

Life  of  Louis  Philippe  after  the  execution  of  his  father — Exile  in 
America  and  England — Visits  Sicily — Prejudice  against  him — 
Becomes  engaged  to  the  Princess  Marie  Am61ie,  daughter  of 
the  King  and  Queen  of  the  Two  Sicilies — Marriage  and  life  in 
Sicily — Fall  of  Napoleon  and  Eestoration  of  Louis  XVIII. — 
The  Due  d'0rl6ans  returns  to  France. 

The  three  d'Orleans  princes  travelled  about  in  Amer- 
ica staying  first  in  one  place  then  in  another.  When 
they  visited  Cuba  the  Spanish  Government,  which  was 
allied  with  the  Directory,  seized  them  and  put  them 
in  prison.  They  contrived  to  escape  to  New  York, 
and  in  January,  1800,  obtained  permission  to  go  to 
England,  which  for  a  long  time  had  refused  to  receive 
them.  On  arriving  in  England  they  took  a  house  at 
Twickenham,  where  they  lived  very  comfortably,  but 
had  a  most  modest  establishment,  their  court  consist- 
ing only  of  one  loyal  friend,  M.  de  Montjoie.  The 
Due  d'Orleans  went  a  great  deal  into  society  in  Lon- 
don, and  became  very  English  in  his  manner  of  life 
and  his  dress. 

The  Comtesse  de  Boigne,^  an  old  family  friend 
who  saw  a  good  deal  of  the  young  princes,  says  :  "  M. 

^  Memoirs  of  Comtesse  de  Boigne. 
100 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

le  Due  d'0rl6ans  was  fairly  good  looking,  but  had  no 
distinction  either  in  figure  or  manners.  He  never 
seemed  quite  at  his  ease.  His  conversation,  though 
interesting,  was  somewhat  pedantic  for  a  man  of  his 
age.  The  Due  de  Montpensier  was  passionately  fond 
of  music,  the  Due  d'Orleans  tolerated  it  for  his 
brother's  sake.  The  three  brothers  were  deeply  at- 
tached to  each  other." 

Their  long  sojourn  in  the  prisons  of  Marseilles  had 
ruined  the  health  of  both  the  younger  brothers,  who 
showed  symptoms  of  consumption.  Of  this  fell  dis- 
ease the  Due  de  Montpensier  fell  a  victim.  He 
was  buried  in  Westminster.  A  warm  climate  being 
thought  necessary  for  Beaujolais,  he  was  sent  to 
Malta,  and  his  brother  wrote  and  asked  permission  of 
Ferdinando  IV.  to  bring  his  brother  to  Sicily,  but 
before  permission  arrived  Beaujolais  was  dead  at 
Malta.     He  was  twenty-eight  years  old. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  went  to  Sicily  to  thank  the 
King  for  the  permission  given,  and  to  pay  his  respects 
to  the  royal  family,  and  his  engagement  to  Princess 
Marie  Amelie  was  arranged.  By  this  time  Napoleon 
was  in  power  in  France,  and  the  Due  d'Orleans  saw 
that  it  was  for  his  interest  to  unite  with  the  older 
branch  of  the  Bourbons  (Louis  XVIII.  and  Comte 
d'Artois  and  his  sons),  and  a  reconciliation  was 
effected  while  he  was  in  England.  At  a  subsequent 
meeting  Louis  XVIII.  acknowledged  that  both  in  ap- 
pearance, manners  and  ability,  the  Due  d'Orleans  was 
superior  to  his  cousins,  the  Due  de  Angouleme  and 
de  Berry,  sons  of  Comte  d'Artois.     Louis  Philippe's 

101 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

oi)inions  had  modified,  and  a  letter  ^  written  at  this 
time  is  extant  in  which  he  says  :  "If  the  wrongful 
employment  of  force  succeeds  in  placing  on  the 
throne  of  France  in  fact,  but  not  by  right,  any  other 
than  our  legitimate  King,  we  shall  follow  the  voice  of 
honour  which  bids  us  appeal  in  his  name  till  our  last 
breath  to  God,  to  Frenchmen,  and  our  sword.  I  am 
bound  to  the  King  of  France,  my  elder  and  my 
master,  by  all  the  oaths  that  can  bind  a  man,  by  all 
the  obligations  that  can  bind  a  prince." 

His  name  was  among  the  signatures  of  the  royal 
family  protesting  against  the  usurpation  of  Napoleon, 
and  also  against  the  execution  of  the  Due  d'Enghien ; 
but  he  took  no  part  in  the  intrigues  of  the  emigres. 

The  financial  position  of  both  sides  prevented  the 
immediate  marriage  of  Louis  Philippe  and  Marie 
Amelie.  Meanwhile  the  King  of  Spain  had  abdicated, 
and  Napoleon  had  taken  the  Spanish  royal  family 
to  France.  The  Spaniards  rose  in  insurrection  against 
the  French,  and  Ferdinando,  King  of  Sicily,  declared 
himself  Regent  of  Spain,  and  sent  his  second  son 
Leopold,  Duke  of  Salerno,  to  represent  him.  Leopold 
was  only  eighteen,  and,  burning  for  an  opportunity  to 
distinguish  himself.  Due  d'Orl^ans  asked  leave  to 
accompany  him,  and  to  fight  against  the  armies  of 
Napoleon.'  He  and  the  Duke  of  Salerno  landed  in 
Spain  in  1810,  but  the  English  Government  inter- 
fered, the  expedition  came  to  nothing,  and  the  two 
princes  had  to  return  to  Sicily. 

The  Due  d'Orl^ans  then  went  to  Barcelona,  where 
1  By  Due  d'Orl^ans. 
102 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

his  mother  had  taken  refuge,  to  obtain  her  necessary 
consent  to  his  marriage.  When  on  6th  September, 
1797,  a  Decree  of  the  Five  Hundred  expelled  "la 
Citoyenne  Egalit^  "  ^  and  "  la  Citoyenne  Verite  "  ^  from 
France,  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the  Five  Hundred, 
Rouzet,  asked  permission  to  accompany  them,  for  he 
had  himself  been  imprisoned  under  the  Terror,  and 
had  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orl^ans 
and  become  devoted  to  her.  His  respectful  attach- 
ment vras  inspired  as  much  through  pity  for  her 
misfortunes  as  by  admiration  for  the  smiling  philo- 
sophy with  which  she  bore  them. 

The  Duchesse  d'0rl6ans,  though  of  a  sweet  and 
pure  nature,  had  not  great  strength  of  mind,  or 
perhaps  years  of  neglect  from  her  husband  and  separa- 
tion from  her  family  disposed  her  to  be  touched  by 
the  admiration  and  devotion  of  Rouzet.  He  obtained 
unbounded  influence  over  her,  called  himself  her 
Chancellor,  and  through  her  influence  obtained  from 
the  King  of  Spain  the  title  of  Comte  de  Folmont.^ 
The  position  he  thenceforward  took  up  in  her  house- 
hold was  the  cause  of  her  estrangement  from  the  Due 
d'Orl^ans  and  her  daughter,  Princess  Adelaide,  who, 
after  many  years'  exile,  first  with  Mme.  de  Genlis  at 
Bremgarten,  and  then  with  her  aunt,  the  Princesse 
de  Conti,  at  Fribourg,  and  in  Bavaria  and  Hungary, 
had  at  last  succeeded  in  joining  her  mother  in  Spain. 
She  remained  with  her  six  years,  and  finally  decided 

1  Duchesse  d'Orleans. 

2  Her  sister-in-law,  Duchesse  de  Bourbon. 

^  See  Le  Notres  Vieux  Papiers,  le  Comte  de  Folmont. 

103 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

to  join  her  brother  at  Malta  and  then  in  Sicily,  where 
she  was  introduced  to  her  future  sister-in-law,  and 
received  with  much  consideration. 

While  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  had  been  in  Spain  a 
party  had  been  formed  at  the  Sicilian  Court  to  pre- 
judice King  Ferdinando  against  him,  and  to  oppose 
the  marriage.  They  objected  to  the  boundless  ambition 
of  Louis  Philippe,  his  want  of  means,  and  the  strait- 
ened circumstances  of  the  Sicilian  royal  family  who 
would  have  to  support  his  household;  and  his  mother 
withheld  her  consent.  The  course  of  true  love 
never  yet  ran  smooth,  and  it  was  not  till  Marie 
Am^lie  had  declared  that  if  the  marriage  was 
not  allowed  she  would  become  a  Capuchin  nun,  that 
the  King  gave  way.  The  Queen  of  Sicily,  how- 
ever, exacted  the  presence  of  the  Due  d'Orlc^ans' 
mother  at  the  wedding,  and  he  went  to  Mahon 
in  Minorca  to  persuade  her.  ^  The  Duchesse  d'Or- 
leans  required  the  consent  of  the  King  (Comte  de 
Provence,  Louis  XVIII.)  to  this  marriage  of  the  first 
Prince  of  the  Blood.  This  obtained,  she  no  longer 
withheld  her  own,  and  arrived  in  Palermo  for  the 
wedding.  Maria  Carolina  received  her  very  graciously, 
and  the  Duchesse  d'Orl^ans  reminded  her  that  in 
1776,  when  she  and  her  husband  were  travelling  in 
Italy,  Queen  Maria  Carolina  had  said  to  her,  "  If 
God  gives  me  a  daughter  I  should  like  her  to  marry 
your  eldest  son,  the  Due  de  Valois,  as  his  title  then 
was  ". 

^  The  entrance  into  Spain  of  Napoleon's  army  obliged  her  to 
leave  Barcelona  and  Figueras. 

104 


Chapel  in  the  Palace  at  Palermo,  where  Marie  Amelie 

WAS  Married 

Tiifacep.  104 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

The  contract  was  signed  on  the  15th  November, 
1809;  the  letters  of  Louis  XVIIL,  dated  Hartwell, 
England,  were  annexed.  But  King  Ferdinando  met 
with  an  accident  and  broke  his  leg,  so  the  marriage  was 
postponed  till  25th  November,  and  as  the  King  could 
not  stand,  it  had  to  be  celebrated  in  his  room.  An 
altar  was  erected  there,  and  the  ceremony  was  per- 
formed by  Mgr.  Monarchia. 

Marie  Ame^lie's  wedding-dress  was  of  cloth  of 
silver  of  Sicilian  manufacture.  She  wore  a  tiara  of 
diamonds  and  some  white  feathers  in  her  hair.  An 
entry  in  her  journal  of  this  date  says  :  "Knowing  the 
sacredness  of  the  tie  I  was  about  to  form,  I  was  filled 
with  emotion  and  my  limbs  tottered  under  me,  but 
the  Due  d'Orl^ans  pronounced  his  '  Yes '  in  such  a 
resolute  voice  that  it  gave  me  courage  ". 

After  the  ceremony  in  the  King's  room,  the  wed- 
ding party  went  to  the  chapel  for  a  *'Te  Deum  "  and 
the  Service  of  Benediction.  The  Palace  chapel  is 
very  small  but  beautifully  proportioned,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  interesting  and  remarkable  specimens  of 
Saracenic-Byzantine  architecture  in  existence. 

After  the  service  in  chapel  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom went  out  on  the  balcony  of  the  Palace  to 
show  themselves  to  the  populace,  and  by  command 
of  the  King  supped  alone  with  himself  and  the 
Queen. 

In  order  to  avoid  the  friction  which  inevitably 
arises  in  royal  as  well  as  other  families,  when  house- 
holds live  in  too  close  intimacy,  the  King  had  given 
his  daughter  the  Palazzo  Santa  Teresa,  afterwards 

105 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

known  as  Palazzo  d'0rl6ans,  as  a  residence  ;  but  it 
required  repairs,  and  for  a  while  the  newly  married 
couple  had  to  remain  in  a  set  of  apartments  allotted  to 
them  in  the  Royal  Palace  ;  but  in  superintending  the 
work  at  Santa  Teresa  the  Due  d'Orleans  found  scope 
for  indulging  the  love  of  building,  which  was  one  of 
his  prominent  characteristics.  Ferdinando  said  of  his 
son-in-law  :  ''  He  has  *  mal  del  pietro ' ". 

Just  before  his  marriage  the  Due  d'0rl6ans  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  a  friend,  M.  de  Guilherry  :  *'  I 
am  about  to  marry  the  lady  you  wished  me  to  marry, 
and  if  I  were  all  that  I  am  not,  and  if  the  times  were 
what  they  are  not,  it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  make 
a  marriage  in  any  respect  more  advantageous  to  me. 
What  a  benefit  it  will  be  to  me !  What  a  slap  at 
prejudice  !  What  a  means  of  reconciliation  with  the 
elder  branch  of  my  family,  and  of  entering  into  close 
relations  with  the  royal  family  of  Austria !  What 
an  advantage  for  me  to  marry  a  Bourbon  ! " 

Marie  Am61ie  was  twenty-seven  years  old  and 
knew  something  of  the  world,  so  she  was  not  sur- 
prised to  find  her  married  life  one  of  trouble ;  but  she 
endeavoured  to  acquire  an  imperturbable  temper,  and 
to  be  as  unmoved  by  the  petty  difficulties  of  domestic 
life  as  by  great  trials. 

M.  de  Folmont  caused  trouble  between  the 
Dowager  Duchesse  d'Orleans  and  her  son  and  his 
wife. 

Besides  this  there  were  the  difficulties  caused  by 
straitened  means,  for  when  Queen  Maria  Carolina 
was  exiled  the  English  Government  also  stopped  the 

106 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

payment  of  2,000  ounces  monthly,  which  it  had  been 
arranged  shouhl  be  given  to  Marie  Amelie  when 
she  married.  But  her  great  affection  for  her  husband 
enabled  her  to  be  happy  in  spite  of  all  this.  That 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  for  other  than  political  reasons, 
was  lucky  in  his  wife  we  can  well  imagine,  for  she 
had  been  trained  by  a  mother  who,  whatever  defects 
of  character  she  may  have  had,  was  certainly  a  de- 
voted and  affectionate  wife  to  an  unfaithful  husband, 
her  inferior  in  mind  and  manners. 

That  speech  of  the  Queen  of  Naples  is  often 
quoted,  in  which  she  expressed  her  indignation  to 
her  granddaughter,  the  Archduchess  Marie  Louise, 
Napoleon's  second  wife,  who  forsook  him  in  the  day 
of  adversity.  She  said  to  her  :  "  When  one  is  married 
it  is  for  life.  You  should  have  tied  your  bed-curtains 
together  and  let  yourself  out  of  the  window  to  rejoin 
him,  rather  than  have  deserted  him  in  the  hour  of 
trial." 

This  was  the  sentiment  expressed  by  Maria  Caro- 
lina, though  Napoleon  had  been  her  direst  enemy. 

Marie  Amelie,  in  being  allowed  to  choose  her 
own  husband,  was  more  fortunate  than  most  prin- 
cesses of  her  time,  whose  marriages  were  generally 
arranged  for  political  reasons  only.  The  greater  num- 
ber, when  hardly  beyond  the  age  of  childhood,  were 
sent  to  distant  countries,  where  a  different  language 
was  spoken  and  different  manners  and  customs  to 
those  of  their  homes  obtained,  to  marry  men  whom 
they  had  never  seen  and  who  were  often  most  un- 
congenial and  unsuitable  husbands. 

107 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

There  was  much  happiness  in  the  beginning  of 
Marie  Amelie's  married  life.  Her  husband's  sister, 
Adelaide  d'0rl6ans,  between  whom  and  Louis  Phil- 
ippe a  very  true  and  deep  affection  existed,  made 
her  home  with  them.  The  sisters-in-law  were  great 
friends,  and  Mile.  Adt^laide  gave  French  lessons  to 
Marie  Amelie,^  who  called  her  ''My  dear  good 
Adelaide".  In  her  journal  Marie  Amelie  describes 
her  sister-in-law  as  follows  :  *'  She  is  about  my  height, 
her  face  is  large,  and  she  has  a  wide  mouth.  Her 
eyes  are  very  fine  and  she  has  beautiful  fair  hair. 
She  seems  very  amiable  and  witty,  and  pleases  me 
greatly." 

Adelaide  d'Orleans  was  a  very  remarkable  woman, 
with  much  intellect,  practical  ability  and  strength  of 
mind.  She  was  destined  to  play  a  prominent  part 
in  the  future  of  her  brother  and  his  family  ;  indeed 
she  has  been  termed  "one  of  the  factors  which  de- 
termined the  history  of  Europe  in  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century". 

The  Palazzo  d'Orleans  became  the  rendezvous 
of  all  the  clever  and  interesting  people  who  came  to 
Sicily,  but  differences  of  opinion  on  political  matters 
between  the  Queen  and  the  Due  d'Orleans  caused 
many  painful  scenes,  and  Marie  Amelie  was  placed 
in  a  painful  position  between  her  love  for  her  mother 
and  her  conviction  (which  she  retained  through  life) 
that  it  was  impossible  for  her  husband  to  be  in  the 
wrong.     The  Prince  Royal  shared  the  liberal  ideas 

^  Even  during  her  married  life  in  France  she  wrote  her  daily 
journal  in  the  ItaHan  language. 

108 


00 

o 


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o 


o 

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PM 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  the  Due  d'Orl^ans,  but  the  Queen  was  so  con- 
vinced that  the  French  Revolution  had  been  caused 
by  the  weak  concessions  of  Louis  XVI.,  that  she 
would  not  even  agree  to  reasonable  reforms.  The 
whole  island  was  in  a  state  of  insurrection,  and  Lord 
William  Bentinck,  British  ambassador  at  Palermo, 
was  obliged  to  interfere,  saying  that  England  could 
not  allow  such  a  state  of  affairs  to  continue  in  a 
country  whose  Government  and  Court  owed  its  ex- 
istence to  the  protection  of  English  arms  and  the 
support  of  English  money.  He  had  a  very  high 
opinion  of  the  Due  d'Orl^ans,  and  said:  "All  the 
troubles  of  the  Sicilian  Government  came  from  their 
not  knowing  how  to  profit  by  the  treasure  they  had 
in  the  Due  d'Orleans  ". 

King  Ferdinando  was  obliged  to  abdicate  in  favour 
of  his  son,  and  Bentinck  was  named  Captain-general 
of  Sicily. 

Botta,  in  his  History  of  Naples,  says  :  "  The  people 
are  like  the  climate — always  in  extreme.  On  the  one 
side  we  see  extreme  benevolence  and  ideal  virtue ; 
on  the  other,  hatred  approaching  ferocity.  The  his- 
tory of  the  Two  Sicilies  is  that  of  conspiracies,  civil 
wars,  foreign  wars,  conflagrations,  treachery,  exe- 
cutions of  the  just  and  the  unjust,  acts  of  heroism 
and  invincible  courage.  A  Republic  contaminated 
by  rapine,  Ferdinando  twice  driven  away  and  re- 
stored, a  Republic  the  slave  of  France,  a  Monarchy 
the  slave  of  England.  A  Republic  established  by 
the  agency  of  a  soldier,  a  Monarchy  restored  by  a 
priest  (Ruffo).      Those  who  fawned  on  the  King  or 

109 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

Championnet,  afterwards  fawned  on  Joseph  Bonaparte 
and  his  successor  Murat." 

In  the  edict  of  18th  July,  1808,  when  Napoleon 
appointed  his  ''well-beloved  brother-in-law,  Joachim 
Murat,  Grand- duke  of  Berg,  to  the  throne  of  Naples 
and  Sicily,  vacant  by  the  succession  of  my  brother 
Joseph  to  the  throne  of  Spain,"  it  was  added  that  if 
Caroline  Murat  survived  her  husband  she  should  suc- 
ceed to  the  throne  before  her  sons.  She  had  more 
capacity  than  any  of  the  other  sisters  of  Napoleon, 
and  when  she  arrived  at  Naples  her  beauty  and  grand 
air,  and  her  four  charming  children,  were  greatly 
admired. 

To  hear  of  the  homage  paid  to  her  by  the  fickle 
Neapolitans  was  gall  and  wormwood  to  Maria  Caro- 
lina, in  Sicily. 

Though  Bentinck  had  been  appointed  to  be  Captain- 
general  of  Sicily,  Maria  Carolina  would  not  yield 
to  his  authority,  and  he  felt  that  there  would  be  no 
peace  in  the  island  so  long  as  she  remained  there 
to  influence  the  King,  and  he  insisted  on  her  retir- 
ing to  Austria.  Her  youngest  son,  Leopold,  Duke  of 
Salerno,  accompanied  her. 

Until  Marie  Amelie  married  the  Due  d'Orleans 
it  had  never  occurred  to  her  to  question  the  policy  or 
government  of  her  parents,  but  now  her  eyes  were 
opened.  At  this  time  she  wrote  in  her  journal :  "  My 
heart  was  torn  by  conflicting  emotions,  sentiments  of 
filial  love,  love  of  country,  compassion,  justice  and 
honour.     I  seemed  to  float  in  a  sea  of  anguish." 

To  her  cousin,  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  she  wrote 

110 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

commending  to  his  care  "  the  mother  whose  departure 
causes  me  the  deepest  affliction  ". 

But  the  mother  and  daughter  never  met  again, 
for  in  1814  Queen  Maria  Carolina  was  found  dead 
in  her  bedroom  at  Vienna,  having  been  struck  with 
apoplexy.  In  her  last  years  at  Vienna  her  chief 
pleasure  was  the  company  of  Napoleon's  little  son, 
the  King  of  Rome,  her  only  great-grandchild.  This 
boy's  godmother  was  Caroline  Murat,  who  had 
usurped  Maria  Carolina's  throne. 

Queen  Maria  Carolina's  influence  at  Vienna  was  a 
thing  of  the  past,  and  at  her  death  the  Murats  showed 
more  respect  to  her  memory  than  the  Austrian  Court, 
which  did  not  go  into  mourning  for  her,  while  the 
Murats  postponed  the  Court  functions  that  were 
about  to  take  place  when  the  news  of  her  death 
reached  Naples. 

Maria  Carolina  had  many  fine  qualities,  but  she 
could  not  realise  that  there  must  be  a  change  in  the 
governance  of  the  world,  that  there  was  to  be  a  new 
order  of  things  because  the  old  had  accomplished  its 
purpose. 

The  departure  of  the  Queen  from  Sicily  delivered 
the  Due  d'0rl6ans  from  a  very  insecure  position.  She 
had  not  scrupled  to  declare  that  he  was  the  moving 
spirit  of  the  Opposition  in  Sicily,  and  made  Ferdinando 
remove  him  from  the  post  of  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  Sicilian  army.  The  Due  d'Orl^ans  would  not  act 
against  his  principles,  and  when  some  of  his  friends 
who  were  leaders  of  the  Reform  party  were  arrested, 
he  quite  expected  to  meet  with  the  same  treatment. 

Ill 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

For  a  long  time  he  kept  a  horse  ready  saddled  and 
bridled  in  order  to  be  able  to  take  flight  at  a  moment's 
notice. 

It  must  have  been  a  most  trying  position  for  Marie 
Am^lie,  what  with  anxiety  for  her  husband's  safety, 
and  the  pain  of  hearing  her  mother  inveighing  against 
him,  and  regretting  that  she  had  allowed  the  marriage. 

Besides  these  family  and  political  discussions,  the 
married  life  of  Marie  Am^lie  was  clouded  by  pecuniary 
trouble.  The  d'Orleans  apparently  had  no  resources 
except  the  pensions  allowed  to  the  Due  d'Orleans  and 
his  mother  and  sister  by  the  English  Government, 
and  they  were  not  paid  punctually.  Poor  Louis 
Philippe  had  incessantly  to  write  begging  letters,  and 
applied  to  the  Duke  of  Kent  and  Duke  of  Portland 
to  use  their  influence  to  get  these  pensions  paid. 

Prospects  seemed  to  brighten  when  the  Catalonian 
Government  offered  Louis  Philippe  a  post  in  the  army 
opposing  Napoleon  in  Spain.  This  expedition,  how- 
ever, came  to  nought,  and  Louis  Philippe  returned  de- 
jected to  Sicily.  During  his  absence  a  son  had  been 
born  to  him,  the  Due  de  Chart  res.  He  had  looked 
forward  to  this  child's  birth  with  great  joy  and  hopeful- 
ness. Writing  to  his  friend  Guilherry,  he  had  said  : 
"  My  wife  will  soon  make  me  a  father,  Alleluia  ". 

When  writing  after  the  child's  birth  Marie  Amelie, 
to  whom  her  sister-in-law  had  imparted  her  own 
ambitious  views,  said  :  ''July,  1810.  Every  one  here 
looks  upon  your  son  as  likely  to  become  heir-pre- 
sumptive to  the  throne  of  France."  When  he  returned 
to  Palermo,  Marie  Am61ie  had  the  joy  of  presenting 

112 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

their  son  to  him.  To  a  friend  she  describes  her  boy  as 
"  ravishing,  very  like  his  father  ".  Two  daughters  were 
born  while  they  were  in  Sicily.^  The  English  Govern- 
ment insisted  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  should  live  as  a 
private  person  in  Sicily.  He  chafed  against  this,  and 
longed  to  be  able  to  leave  what  was  to  him  *'  sleepy 
hollow  ".-  But  it  was  not  until  the  fall  of  Napoleon^ 
at  the  end  of  1813,  that  a  wider  field  was  open  to  his 
energies.  On  the  23rd  April,  1814,  the  English  man- 
of-war,  Aboukir,  brought  the  news  to  Palermo. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  rushed  into  his  wife's  room 
exclaiming  *'  Bonaparte  is  done  for !  Louis  XVIII.  is 
re-established,  and  I  am  of!'  to  France  in  this  ship 
which  has  come  to  fetch  me  ! " 

Marie  Am6lie  and  her  sister-in-law  Adelaide 
wept  for  joy,  and  after  an  interchange  of  almost 
incoherent  congratulations,  all  three  went  to  inform 
King  Ferdinando  of  the  news.  He  knelt  down,  and 
bowing  his  head  till  it  touched  the  ground,  he  offered 
thanks  to  God. 

It  afterwards  turned  out  that  Louis  XVIII.  had  not 
sent  for  his  cousin,  but  the  Due  d'Orleans  set  off  on 
the  Aboukir,  which  landed  him  at  Genoa.  He  was 
accompanied  only  by  his  English  valet  White,  and 
Captain  Gordon,  but  he  was  determined  to  assert 
from  the  first  his  position  as  first  Prince  of  the 
Blood. 

At  Marseilles  he  borrowed  a  general's  uniform 

^  Louise,  afterwards  Queen  of  the  Belgians — Clementine,  Prin- 
cess of  Saxe-Cobourg,  mother  of  Ferdinand,  Tzar  of  Bulgaria. 
2  "  Ce  dortoire." 

113  8 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  reviewed  the  troops.  At  Lyons  he  did  the  same, 
and  let  it  be  known  that  he  expected  due  honour  to 
be  shown  to  him  wherever  he  stopped. 

On  arriving  at  Paris  he  took  up  his  abode  at  a 
hotel  in  the  Rue  Grange  Bateliere,  having  sent  on 
Captain  Gordon  to  engage  apartments.  The  same 
evening  he  went  alone  to  the  Palais  Royal,  the  home 
of  his  forefathers.  He  did  not  give  his  name,  and  the 
guard  tried  to  prevent  his  entrance,  but  the  Due 
d'Orleans  would  not  be  hindered,  he  entered  and 
knelt  down  and  kissed  the  steps  of  the  grand  stair- 
case.    At  last  he  felt  he  had  come  again  to  his  own. 

The  next  day,  17th  May,  he  presented  himself  at 
the  Tuileries.  Louis  XVIII.  received  him  kindly,  and 
reinstated  him  in  his  old  rank  in  the  French  army, 
saying,  "  Twenty-five  years  ago  you  were  a  lieut- 
general,  you  are  one  to-day ". 

On  the  following  day  the  King  issued  a  decree 
restoring  the  Palais  Royal  and  the  Park  of  Mous- 
seaux  to  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  his  sister,  and  two 
days  later  another  decree  restored  to  them  all  the 
estates  which  the  House  of  Orleans  had  formerly 
possessed.  The  Jour7ial  des  Debats,  7th  June,  1814, 
has  the  following  paragraph :  "  Monseigneur  le  Due 
d'Orleans,  first  Prince  of  the  Blood,  has  been  living 
at  the  Palais  Royal.  Yesterday,  on  leaving  the  Palais 
at  midday,  he  was  acclaimed  by  an  immense  crowd 
which  had  assembled  to  welcome  him  back  to  Paris ; 
he  was  greatly  moved." 

His  first  care  was  to  put  the  Palais  Royal  in 
order.     It  had  been  devastated,  and  after  the  death 

114 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  Philippe  Egalit6  had  been  declared  national  pro- 
perty and  used  as  a  law-court,  and  afterwards  let 
out  in  sets  of  apartments,  and  part  of  it  used  as 
warehouses. 

By  July  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  a  few  rooms 
in  a  fit  condition  to  receive  his  wife  and  family,  and 
went  to  Palermo  to  fetch  them. 


115 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Kestoration  of  Louis  XVIII. — His  character — Comte  d'Artois — 
"  Monsieur  " — Madame  Eoyale — The  Due  d'Orleans  presents 
his  wife  and  family  at  Court — The  manner  of  their  reception — 
King's  opinion  of  Marie  Am61ie. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  Louis  XVIII.  was 
placed  on  the  throne  of  France  by  the  Allies,  but 
he  was  elected  Constitutional  King  of  France  by  an 
Act  of  the  Imperial  Senate,  which  had  just  decreed 
the  deposition  of  Napoleon. 

The  Act  was  worded  as  follows  : — 

(1)  The  French  Government  is  monarchical  and 
hereditary  in  the  male  line,  in  order  of  primogeniture. 

(2)  The  people  of  France  of  their  own  free  will 
call  to  the  throne  Louis  Stanislaus  Xavier  de  France, 
brother  of  the  late  King,  and  after  him  the  other 
members  of  the  House  of  Bourbon  in  the  old  order. 

This  decree  was  signed  by  the  Republican  party 
as  well  as  the  Legitimists. 

When  his  return  to  France  was  decided  upon, 
Louis  XVIII.  said  ;  "  For  a  few  days  I  could  under- 
stand the  saying  :  '  Happy  as  a  king '  ". 

Louis  XVIII.  is  not  a  popular  character,  and  jus- 
tice has  hardly  been  done  to  his  fine  qualities. 

The  power  of  Louis  XVIII.  consisted  in  his  un- 

116 


King  Louis  XV  III 


To  fare  p.  116 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

shakable  belief  in  himself  and  his  rights.  His  firm 
conviction  of  the  greatness,  dignity,  antiquity  and 
majesty  of  his  race  gave  him  real  power,  which  all 
who  approached  him  felt.  Even  Bonaparte's  generals 
confessed  to  its  impressing  them  ;  they  were  more  in 
awe  of  this  cripple  in  his  arm-chair  than  of  their  great 
leader. 

It  was  this  faith  in  his  rights  that  gave  him  the 
sceptre.  The  first  quality  of  a  king  is  to  believe  in 
his  royalty,  as  that  of  a  priest  is  to  believe  in  his 
religion. 

After  their  first  interview,  Guizot  wrote  :  "  The 
impotence  of  the  King,  combined  with  his  dignity, 
made  a  profound  impression  on  me.  The  glance  and 
attitude  of  this  old  man  glued  to  his  seat,  a  haughty 
serenity,  and  in  spite  of  his  weakness  a  quiet  con- 
fidence in  the  power  of  his  name  and  his  rights,  were 
most  striking."  It  is  impossible  not  to  admire  the 
indomitable  fortitude  with  which  he  bore  the  woes 
of  many  years  of  exile  and  poverty,  to  which  were 
added  the  trials  of  bodily  infirmity  and  a  crippled 
condition,  for  he  was  a  martyr  to  rheumatic  gout. 

However,  he  never  allowed  ill-health  to  interfere 
with  the  performance  of  public  duties,  but  said: 
**  A  king  may  die,  but  cannot  allow  himself  to  be 
ill ". 

The  only  way  in  which  he  betrayed  impatience 
was  by  insisting  on  his  coachman  driving  him  at  top 
speed ;  the  rapid  motion  seemed  a  solace,  and  great 
was  the  expenditure  of  horse-flesh,  the  amount  of 
horses  used  up  in  providing  for  his  daily  drive. 

117 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Though  unable  himself  to  join  the  army,  he  was 
not  without  physical  courage.  When  visiting  the 
army  of  Conde  on  the  Rhine,  during  the  emigration, 
a  ball  shaved  his  forehead ;  his  retinue  exclaimed  in 
alarm,  but  he  merely  said :  "  If  the  ball  had  gone  a 
trifle  lower,  the  King  of  France  would  have  been 
called  Charles  X.,  instead  of  Louis  XVIII. 

Louis  XVIII. 's  wife  had  died  while  they  were  in 
exile  at  Hartwell,  1810.  She  was  the  daughter  of  the 
King  of  Sardinia ;  the  marriage  had  been  arranged 
for  the  Comte  de  Provence  by  ambassadors,  and  he 
awaited  the  arrival  of  his  bride  with  great  anxiety, 
but  was  well  satisfied  when  she  appeared.  Giving 
an  account  of  their  first  meeting,  he  says  :  "  She  was 
neither  handsome  nor  pretty,  but  she  pleased  me". 
The  marriage  was  a  kind  of  family  gathering.  Louis 
XV.  was  present,  decorously  reading  in  his  prayer- 
book,  surrounded  by  his  family. 

In  his  Memoirs^  the  bridegroom  relates  that  "The 
Dauphin,  afterwards  Louis  XVI.,  with  misplaced 
sincerity,  allowed  himself  to  say,  when  I  asked  him 
how  he  liked  my  bride :  '  Not  much ;  were  I  un- 
married, I  should  feel  no  great  desire  to  have  her 
for  my  wife '.  I  replied  :  '  I  congratulate  you  that 
your  taste  has  been  better  suited  in  your  own  wife. 
We  are  both  satisfied  with  our  lot'." 

"  My  wife  was  endowed  with  estimable  qualities, 
and  I  never  had  cause  to  find  fault  with  her.  Her 
sole  study  was  to  please  me  and  adopt  my  friendships 

1  MSmoires  de  Louis  XVIII,  Eecueillis  et  mis  en  ordre  par 
M.  Le  Due  de  D .     Paris,  1833. 

118 


The  Comtesse  de  Provence 
Wife  of  Louis  XVIII 


To  face  p.  118 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

or  dislikes  without  trying  to  influence  me.  But 
Court  intrigues  disturbed  our  peace.  As  a  matter 
of  policy  I  showed  consideration  to  my  grandfather's 
favourite,  Mme.  du  Barry  ;  this  enraged  the  Dau- 
phiness,  Marie  Antoinette,!  and  her  husband  made 
remarks  which  induced  my  wife  to  say :  '  Till  now 
I  had  thought  that  politeness  constituted  part  of  the 
education  of  French  Princes  of  the  Blood  '." 

In  speaking  of  his  early  married  life  the  Comte 
de  Provence  says :  "  Ennui  reigned  at  Versailles 
during  the  last  years  of  my  grandfather's  reign  ;  he 
was  in  great  dread  of  death,  and  it  was  a  great  shock 
to  him  when  the  Marquis  de  Chauvelin  fell  dead  at 
his  side  while  he  was  playing  cards  with  Mme.  du 
Barry. 

"  Next  day  he  said  to  Due  de  Richelieu  :  '  Chau- 
velin has  gone  below  before  us  to  secure  my  place  and 
yours '. 

"  'Ah,  Sire,'  replied  Richelieu  *  it  is  on  all  occa- 
sions my  duty  to  give  precedence  to  your  Majesty.' 

'* '  On  this  occasion,  Monsieur,'  replied  the  King, 
'  your  age  will  exempt  you.'  " 

During  the  emigration  and  the  days  of  exile  the 
Comte  de  Provence  and  his  wife  were  separated  for 
many  years ;  he  fell  under  the  influence  of  the  Comtesse 
de  Balbi,^  and  his  wife  under  the  influence  of  her  lady- 
in-waiting,  and  coldness  sprang   up   between   them ; 

1  Of  this  lady  the  story  is  told  that  when  the  Comte  de  Pro- 
vence heard  of  her  flirtations  with  others  during  his  absence  he 
wrote  to  her  :  "  Caesar's  wife  should  be  above  suspicion  ".  She 
replied  :  "  I  am  not  your  wife,  and  you  are  not  Caesar  ". 

119 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

but  they  eventually  came  together  again,  and  when 
her  death  occurred  at  Hartwell  her  husband,  writing 
to  a  friend,  remarked:  "I  confess  I  did  not  realise 
how  much  I  loved  the  Queen"  (Louis  XVIII.  dated 
his  accession  from  the  day  of  his  nephew  Louis 
XVIL's  death  in  the  Temple,  years  before  the 
Restoration),  "  I  miss  her  a  hundred  times  a  day. 
I  say  to  myself,  mechanically,  I  must  tell  her  this 
or  that,  and  then  I  remember  that  I  have  no  one 
to  confide  in." 

Louis  XVIII.  always  needed  a  confidante,  and  he 
found  one  after  his  return  to  France  in  Zoe,  Mme.  du 
Cayla ;  she  was  endowed  with  much  wit  and  had  the 
tone  of  the  great  world,  and  with  her  he  enjoyed  the 
intellectual  conversation  that  he  so  much  prized.  A 
more  detailed  account  of  Mme.  du  Cayla  will  be  given 
in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

When  Louis  XVIII.  returned  to  France  he  said 
one  of  his  first  cares  was  to  get  rid  of  his  friends  the 
Allies :  *'  For  fear  they  should  take  a  fancy  to  my 
kingdom  if  they  stayed  too  long  in  it ". 

He  relates  how,  when  he  lay  down  to  rest  the  first 
night  of  his  arrival  at  the  Tuileries  in  his  brother's 
room,  which  had  recently  been  occupied  by  Bonaparte, 
he  could  not  sleep,  visions  of  those  he  had  lost,  and  the 
terrible  scenes  they  had  lived  through,  passed  through 
his  brain,  menacing  phantoms  seemed  to  appear 
through  a  blood-coloured  vapour.  "  I  was  thankful, 
when  I  found  myself  alone,"  he  wrote,  "  to  be  able  to 
relieve  myself  by  sighing  and  even  sobbing  without 
restraint,  as  well  as  by  prayers.     I  made  a  firm  resolu- 

120 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tion  never  to  act  in  such  a  way  as  to  expose  myself  and 
my  family  to  such  a  fate  as  my  brother's  had  been."  ^ 

"  I  found,"  he  says,  at  a  later  date,  "  a  new  France, 
new  habits,  manners  and  costumes,  and  underneath 
an  outward  show  of  deference,  much  self-esteem  and 
a  profound  conviction  of  individual  worth.  What 
greatly  surprised  me  was  the  avidity  for  titles,  rank, 
crosses  of  honour,  etc.  I  said  to  myself,  where  are 
the  true  Republicans,  those  who  were  so  contemptuous 
of  kings,  nobles  and  privileges  ? " 

The  ancient  families  returned  to  their  accustomed 
places  at  Court,  so  did  the  new  nobility,  "  Les  valets 
de  Bonaparte,"  as  Louis  XVIII.  calls  them.  The 
first  wished  to  retake  the  place  they  had  lost  at  the 
Revolution,  the  second  would  not  yield  the  place  they 
had  conquered. 

Endless  quarrels  resulted,  the  Court  preferred  to 
talk  with  old  friends,  and  the  middle-class  ladies  were 
furious  that  no  notice  was  taken  of  them. 

It  was  often  announced  in  the  Gazette  that  this  or 
that  gentleman  had  been  granted  an  audience  by  the 
King  ;  it  was  generally  for  no  important  purpose,  but 
generally  with  reference  to  some  complaint  of  their 
wives  or  daughters  as  to  precedence  or  privilege.  The 
King  said  all  this  made  his  life  a  burden  to  him,  his 
head  whirled,  he  could  hardly  believe  that  great 
generals  or  statesmen  would  descend  to  occupy  them- 
selves with  such  puerilities. 

Louis  XVI 11.  was  polite  and  gallant  in  the  style 
of  a  gentleman  of  the  old  regime.    He  had  a  weakness 

^  Memoirs  of  Louis  XVIII. 
121 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

for  ladies  who  were  witty  and  had  the  tone  of  the 
great  world,  and  endured  the  society  of  the  others 
with  resignation. 

Seeing  Marshal  Berth ier,  who  had  been  loaded 
with  benefits  by  Napoleon,  hasten  to  do  homage  on  his 
arrival,  Louis  XVIIL  made  some  painful  reflections 
on  the  human  heart  and  the  rareness   of  gratitude. 

For  the  French  say :  *'  II  nous  faut  du  nouveau 
n'en  fut  il  plus  au  monde  ". 

Louis  XVIII.,  while  doing  justice  to  his  good 
qualities,  thoroughly  distrusted  the  Due  d'OrMans  and 
thought  with  Barras  that  he  would  be  better  in  Sicily. 
Barras  said  :  "  Even  Republicans  think  of  him  as  a 
Constitutional  King.  He  would  always  be  a  rallying 
point  for  Revolutionaries.  Bonaparte  is  to  be  feared, 
but  he  is  far  off;  but  were  d'Orleans  here  he  would 
be  a  rallying  point  for  the  Opposition." 

Louis  XVIIL  had,  however,  a  very  great  esteem 
and  affection  for  the  Dowager  Duchesse  d'Orleans  and 
sympathy  for  the  cruel  tribulations  she  had  undergone, 
and  gave  "  a  great  proof  of  it,"  he  said,  *'in  allowing 
her  son  to  return  to  France  ". 

"The  Due  d'Orleans,"  he  said,  "has  done  a  little 
of  everything  in  his  life,  has  been  alternately  prince, 
Republican,  soldier,  emigrant,  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics, a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  an  English 
gentleman,  a  Sicilian  noble,  but  has  now  returned  to 
his  rank  as  a  Prince  of  the  Royal  House  of  Bourbon, 
The  different  positions  he  has '  filled  have  left  marks 
on  his  character,  which  is  complex.  He  has  great 
abilities,  and  has  received  a  perfect  education." 

122 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Louis  XVIIL  did  not  like  Adelaide  d'Orldans, 
Louis  Philippe's  sister,  though  he  admitted  that  her 
conduct  during  exile  entitled  her  to  respect.  He 
thought  very  highly  of  Marie  Amelie,  and  records  in 
his  Memoirs ;  "  I  had  heard  a  great  deal  in  favour  of 
this  Princess,  but  when  I  became  personally  ac- 
quainted with  her,  I  found  in  her  many  more  good 
qualities  than  I  had  been  led  to  expect.  Such  a  wife 
in  some  degree  quieted  my  apprehensions  as  to  the 
Due  d'0rl6ans." 

The  prosperous  days  of  the  Sicilian  Monarchy  had 
long  been  over,  and  Marie  Amelie  quitted  Sicily  with 
no  regret  but  that  of  leaving  her  father ;  as  for  her 
husband,  his  mother  and  sister,  for  them  poverty,  exile, 
and  humiliation  were  over  and  they  were  returning 
to  their  beloved  France,  to  the  wealth  and  honours 
appertaining  to  the  House  of  Orleans.  They  landed 
at  Marseilles,  journeyed  by  boat  and  coach  to  Lyons, 
where  they  were  received  with  due  honours. 

At  Dijon  they  found  Comte  d'Artois,  who  had 
been  sent  by  the  King  to  meet  them.  This  was  Marie 
Amelie's  first  meeting  with  the  Prince  who  had  been 
such  a  prominent  figure  in  the  early  married  life  of 
her  unfortunate  aunt,  Marie  Antoinette.  The  Count 
d'Artois  was  the  idol  of  the  Legitimist  party.  Al- 
though his  youth  was  past,  he  still  had  a  fine  figure 
and  gallant  bearing,  and  was  indeed  the  beau-ideal  of  a 
French  Prince,  courteous,  chivalrous  and  charming. 
During  the  Revolution,  Burke  said  that  if  the  Bourbon 
race  was  ever  restored  it  would  have  to  be  by  a  prince 
who  could  sit  eight  hours  a  day  on  horseback.     No 

123 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

captain  in  the  guards  managed  his  charger  with  more 
skill  and  address,  no  courtier  was  more  perfect  in  all 
the  graces  that  dignify  manners  than  Comte  d'Artois, 
the  King's  brother,  and  the  death  of  his  beloved 
mistress,  Mme.  de  Polastron,  made  such  a  profound 
impression  on  him  that  he  had  quite  abjured  the 
libertine  habits  of  his  youth. 

He  wished  to  forget  Egalite  and  receive  the  Due 
d'0rl6ans  as  his  cousin  and  friend,  and  though  the 
first  meeting  was  somewhat  embarrassing,  he  showed 
himself  full  of  consideration  and  attention.  He  made 
the  whole  d'Orl^ans  party  don  white  cockades,  which 
he  gave  them.  He  himself  wore  a  large  one  in  his 
hat.  He  accompanied  his  cousins  to  Paris.  It  was 
indeed  a  new  Paris  for  the  Due  d'Orleans,  his  mother 
and  his  sister.  Another  generation  had  arisen.  Man- 
ners, institutions  and  religious  spirit  all  were  different 
to  what  they  had  known.  The  streets  and  appearance 
of  the  city  were  new — Napoleon  had  embellished  it 
with  fine  new  buildings  and  bridges — all  traces  of  the 
Ke volution  had  vanished. 

The  day  after  their  arrival  in  Paris  the  whole 
d'0rl6ans  family  went  to  pay  their  homage  to  the 
King.  The  Dowager  Duchess  and  her  daughter 
Adelaide  especially  wished  to  thank  him  for  the  re- 
storation of  their  property.  Louis  XVIII.  had  estab- 
lished his  bodyguard  and  military  retinue  on  a  footing 
of  great  splendour,  and  the  d'Orleans  family  were 
received  in  great  state.  The  royal  guard  presented 
arms,  and  the  drums  beat  when  they  descended  from 
their  carriages.     A   majestic  major-domo  conducted 

124 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

them  to  the  King's  apartment,  where  the  whole  of  the 
E-oyal  Family  were  assembled.  The  King  was  seated 
in  his  wheel  chair/  he  wore  a  powdered  wig  and  queue, 
and  velvet  boots  and  leggings.  His  face  was  very 
handsome,  his  features  fine,  but  he  was  very  corpulent 
and  permanently  crij^pled  by  gout.  His  intellect  and 
vast  stores  of  knowledge  made  him  the  superior  in 
whatever  society  he  might  find  himself.  His  manner 
was  most  royal  and  dignified,  and  he  was  capable  of 
implying  every  shade  of  approval  or  disapproval  by 
his  smile. 

He  received  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  his  sister  very 
coolly,  but  greeted  the  Dowager  Duchess  and  Marie 
Am^lie  with  warmth  ;  spoke  in  praise  of  her  mother, 
for  whom  she  was  in  mourning ;  ^  offered  his  condol- 
ences, and  then  introduced  her  with  much  cordiality 
to  her  cousin,  Madame  Koyale,^  Duchesse  d'Angou- 
l^me.  Madame  Royale  received  Marie  Amelie  very 
affectionately,  but  her  manner  to  the  rest  of  the 
d'Orleans  party  belied  the  polite  words  she  was  forced 
to  address  to  them,  although  even  Louis  XVIII.  was 
forced  to  admire  the  demeanour  of  the  Due  d'Orleans 
on  this  occasion,  and  wrote  :  "  He  possesses  exquisite 
tact  and  knows  exactly  the  right  thing  to  do  ;  it 
would  be  impossible  to  have  more  dignity  and  grace 

1  He  was  crippled  from  gout. 

2  The  news  of  her  mother's  death  had  only  reached  Marie 
Am6Ue  at  Fontainebleau,  and  she  found  the  Palais  Royal  draped 
in  black. 

3  Marie  Therese  Charlotte,  only  daughter  of  Marie  Antoinette, 
and  wife  of  Due  d'Angouleme,  son  of  Comte  d'Artois,  heir-pre- 
sumptive to  the  throne. 

125 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  manner  than  he  has.  He  surpassed  himself  on 
this  occasion — even  Madame  Royale  had  to  acknow- 
ledge it,  though  she  had  felt  great  repugnance 
to  meeting  him,  for  she  could  not  forget  Egalite. 
However,  by  degrees  she  got  used  to  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  and  received  him  almost 
graciously." 

Louis  XVIII.  was  charmed  with  Marie  Amelie  at 
this  first  meeting.  Her  strongly  marked  Bourbon 
features,  her  demeanour,  the  reserve  and  appropriate- 
ness of  her  replies  showed  all  the  traditions  of  race 
that  were  so  dear  to  him.  He  tried  to  disarm  the 
Due  d'Orl(^ans  by  loading  him  with  riches,  but  made 
a  marked  difference  in  his  treatment  of  Marie  Amelie 
and  his  treatment  of  her  husband  and  his  sister.  As 
daughter  of  the  King  of  Naples,  the  title  of  Royal 
Highness  was  given  to  Marie  Amelie,  but  not  allowed 
to  the  Due  and  Mile.  d'Orlc^ans.  When  they  went  to 
the  Tuileries  both  folds  of  the  door  were  thrown  open 
for  the  entrance  of  Marie  Amelie,  then  one  fold  was 
closed,  and  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  his  sister  had  to 
enter  through  the  other  half  ! 

Madame  Royale  always  treated  Marie  Amelie 
with  the  greatest  affection  and  respect,  and  said  : 
"  She  is  so  good,  so  excellent,  so  closely  related  to 
us". 

Louis  XVIII.  has  been  called  an  egoist  and  accused 
of  being  cold-hearted,  but  his  feelings  for  Madame 
Royale  show  him  in  a  different  light.  He  was  greatly 
impressed  with  the  nobility  of  her  character  when  he 
received  the  first  letter  she  addressed  to  him  on  her 

126 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

release  from  the  Temple.  After  the  execution  of  her 
father  and  mother  she  was  for  a  long  time  alone  in 
this  prison  with  her  aunt,  the  noble  and  saintly  Mme. 
Elizabeth,  who  must  have  had  great  influence  in  the 
formation  of  her  character.  She  was  sixteen  years 
old  at  the  time  that  the  execution  of  Mme.  Elizabeth 
left  her  absolutely  alone  at  the  mercy  of  the  blood- 
thirsty monsters  who  had  taken  the  lives  of  various 
members  of  her  family.  At  this  time  her  little  brother 
was  being  slowly  done  to  death  in  the  same  building, 
but  she  was  not  allowed  to  see  him,  and  no  one  would 
answer  her  questions,  so  she  was  ignorant  of  his  fate 
in  the  rooms  underneath  her. 

She  occupied  a  small  room  at  the  topmost  floor  of 
the  fortress.  Her  aunt  had  taught  her  to  wait  upon 
herself,  so  every  morning  she  arose,  bathed  and  dressed 
herself,  and  did  her  hair,  then  put  her  room  in  order. 
Then  timing  herself  by  her  watch,  she  would  walk  up 
and  down  the  room  for  an  hour  to  make  up  for  lack 
of  proper  exercise.  Then  she  would  read  over  again 
one  of  the  few  books  that  were  in  her  possession,  and 
mend  her  scanty  wardrobe.  The  prison  commissioners 
visited  her  three  times  a  day  to  see  that  she  had  not 
contrived  to  escape  !  In  the  winter  she  suffered  much 
from  cold  and  chilblains  through  insufficient  firing. 
For  twelve  months,  from  May,  1794,  to  June,  1795, 
she  never  set  eyes  on  a  woman.  A  man  brought  her 
meals  to  the  door,  she  took  what  was  brought,  handed 
out  used  crockery  and  shut  the  door.  After  this  date 
the  authorities  decided  to  improve  her  condition,  she 
was  provided  with  whatever  clothing  she  asked  for, 

127 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  allowed  to  walk  on  the  platform  above  her  room 
every  evening.  She  was  also  allowed  needles,  thread 
and  knitting  materials,  as  well  as  tea  and  sugar  and 
chickens  for  dinner,  also  cakes  and  chocolate.  Public 
sympathy  seemed  to  have  been  aroused  for  the  desolate 
girl,  and  the  Committee  of  General  Safety  appointed 
Madame  de  Chantereau,  a  kind  and  charming  woman, 
to  be  her  companion.  A  deputation  from  the  City  of 
Orleans  demanded  her  release  at  the  bar  of  the  Hall 
of  Convention.  Their  petition  was  favourably  received, 
and  it  was  resolved  to  enter  into  negotiations  with  her 
cousin,  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  to  give  her  up  to 
him  in  exchange  for  some  French  prisoners  in  his 
power. 

The  presence  of  Mme.  de  Chantereau  very  much 
alleviated  the  trials  of  the  young  princess's  life ; 
Mme.  de  Mackau  and  de  Tourzel,  old  members  of 
her  parents'  household,  were  allowed  to  visit  her. 
The  preparations  for  her  going  to  Austria  were 
completed  ;  a  suitable  escort  and  even  a  trousseau 
were  provided,  and  on  18th  December,  1795,  she  left 
the  Temple  at  midnight  (probably  to  avoid  a  popular 
demonstration)  and  for  ever,  having  been  three  years 
there  in  captivity. 

News  had  reached  Louis  XVIII.  at  Verona  of 
the  proposal  to  set  his  niece  at  liberty,  and  he 
found  means  to  get  a  letter  through  to  her  begging 
her  to  look  upon  him  as  a  father.  She  replied 
saying  that  his  letter  had  given  her  the  first  moment 
of  real  happiness  that  she  had  known  for  three 
years. 

128 


Marie  Therese  de  BouRBoif,  Madame  Royale,  at  the  time  of 
HER  Release  from  the  Temple  Prisox 

To/are  I).  128 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

When  Louis  XVIII.  heard  that  she  was  to  be 
sent  to  Austria,  his  one  idea  was  to  prevent  her  con- 
tracting a  marriage  with  one  of  her  Austrian  cousins. 
He  looked  upon  her  as  a  valuable  political  asset. 
Her  youth,  sex,  and  misfortune  had  evoked  universal 
sympathy  for  the  Orphan  of  the  Temple,  as  she  was 
called,  and  a  marriage  between  her  and  the  Due 
d'Angouleme,  heir-presumptive  to  the  throne,  would 
be  very  advantageous  to  the  Legitimist  cause,  on 
account  of  her  birth,  she  being  the  only  living  child 
of  the  last  monarch,  Louis  XVI.,  as  well  as  on 
account  of  the  popular  feeling  for  her. 

He  wrote  to  her  telling  her  never  to  forget  that 
she  was  a  Frenchwoman,  and  that  it  had  been  her 
parents'  wish  she  should  marry  the  Due  d'Angouleme. 

The  Austrian  Emperor  sent  an  escort  to  the 
frontier  to  Basle  to  meet  his  niece,  and  she  was 
received  at  Vienna  with  every  mark  of  considera- 
tion. 

She  wrote  to  Louis  XVIII.  :  "  I  await  with  im- 
patience the  orders  of  my  King  and  uncle.  At 
Vienna  I  must  show  to  the  Emperor  all  the  gratitude 
I  owe  him  for  having  obtained  my  freedom,  but  I 
should  never  take  any  steps  in  my  future  life  without 
your  consent,  whatever  may  happen.  And  be  assured 
that  your  niece,  like  her  father,  will  always  love 
France  and  her  family.  From  you,  my  uncle,  I  im- 
plore pardon  for  all  misguided  Frenchmen,  and  I  lay 
at  your  feet  the  homage  and  respect  of  all  good 
Frenchmen.  I  would  rather  suffer  discomfort  and 
poverty  with  my  relations  than  live  at  the  court  of 

129  9 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

a  prince  who  shows  himself  their  enemy.  I  have  one 
boon  to  ask  of  you,  my  uncle,  which  is  to  pardon 
Frenchmen  and  restore  peace.  I,  whose  father, 
mother,  brother,  and  aunts'  lives  they  have  taken, 
demand  it.  It  will  be  for  your  welfare.  You  will 
never  ascend  the  throne  by  force  of  arms.  Opinions 
change  but  peace  is  necessary.  In  Paris  people  are 
dying  of  hunger  and  detest  the  Government,  but  also 
they  detest  foreigners.  They  would  not  welcome 
a  king  who  comes  to  them  sword  in  hand.  I  implore 
you  to  issue  a  new  manifesto.  In  the  name  of  my 
parents,  who  loved  Frenchmen,  I  implore  you  to  give 
peace  to  France." 

Louis  XVIII.  was  profoundly  moved  by  this 
letter,  which  was  a  very  remarkable  one  to  be 
written  by  a  young  girl.  In  her  solitary  life 
a  noble  spirit  had  been  fostered.  From  that  time 
forward  he  never  ceased  negotiating  till  he  was  able 
to  receive  his  niece  in  his  home  and  arrange  for  her 
marriage  with  the  Due  d'Angouleme.  Four  years 
dragged  away  before  this  was  accomplished.  The 
Emperor  Paul  of  Russia  had  given  him  an  income 
and  the  old  palace  of  the  Dukes  of  Courland  to  reside 
in  at  Mittau.  It  was  a  fine  place,  not  unlike  Ver- 
sailles, and  before  the  arrival  of  his  niece  there  was 
no  detail  for  her  comfort  and  convenience  that  was 
too  small  for  Louis  XVIII.  to  attend  to. 

When  she  arrived,  his  joy  and  delight  transformed 
him,  and  it  might  have  been  thought  he  was  the 
bridegroom  and  not  his  nephew,  the  Due  d'Angou- 
leme, who  was  very  shy  and  retiring. 

130 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  party  had  driven  out  some  way  to  meet  Mme. 
Royale's  carriage,  and  when  they  returned  Louis 
XVIIL  called  to  the  household  :  "  She  is  here  !  She 
has  come ! "  casting  aside  his  usual  impassive  de- 
meanour. 

The  prospective  bride  and  bridegroom  had  not  met 
since  they  were  children,  but  since  the  marriage  had 
been  arranged  had  corresponded  with  each  other. 
The  Due  d'Angouleme  was  three  years  older  than 
his  bride.  His  father,  Comte  d'Artois,  was  one  of 
the  first  of  the  royal  family  to  leave  France ;  his  sons 
accompanied  him,  and  their  years  of  exile  were  passed 
at  Turin  (the  Court  of  their  grandfather,  the  King  of 
Sardinia),  at  Coble ntz,  where  he  served  his  apprentice- 
ship in  the  Royalist  army,  in  the  Netherlands,  in 
England,  and  finally  for  many  years  at  Edinburgh, 
where  they  had  to  endure  a  life  of  great  privation. 
The  letters '  of  Marie  Th^rese  had  let  Louis  XVIIL 
discern  plainly  that  both  in  intellect  and  character 
she  was  the  superior  of  the  Due  d'Angouleme,  who 
was  apathetic,  disinclined  to  study,  without  martial 
ardour  or  "  savoir  vivre,"  with  ungenial  manners. 
He  was,  however,  sincere,  kind-hearted  and  generous, 
and  full  of  real  courage  that  only  needed  an  oppor- 

^  Thinking  that  letters  were  intercepted  at  the  Austrian  Court, 
Louis  XVIII.'s  emissary  resorted  to  subterfuge  to  deliver  them. 
This  displeased  the  Princess.  She  wrote :  "I  disapprove  of  M. 
de  Guiche's  method.  When  one  is  doing  no  wrong,  one  need  not 
hide  it.  My  position  requires  me  to  be  above  any  suspicion  of 
double  dealings.  You  need  not  fear  that  letters  are  opened.  It  is 
thought  natural  you  should  write  to  me  ". 

131 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tunity  to  show  itself.  He  had  during  his  stay  in 
England  and  Scotland  imbibed  liberal  ideas  which 
were  rather  a  shock  to  Louis  XVIII.  He  was 
sincerely  religious  and  careful  in  his  religious  duties, 
which  was  a  quality  likely  to  endear  him  to  his  bride, 
who  in  that  respect  resembled  him.  As  they  had 
not  met  since  childhood,  Louis  XVIII.  thought  it 
well  to  send  a  description  of  the  Due  d'Angouleme 
to  Marie  Th^rese,  and  he  ended  by  saying :  "It  will 
be  the  more  easy  for  you  to  be  happy  with  him  since 
his  heart  has  been  given  to  none  but  you,  and  his 
principles  will  ensure  that  this  first  sentiment  will 
also  be  the  last.  I  count  much  on  your  influence 
with  him,  for  you  will,  I  think,  not  be  satisfied  that 
he  should  be  only  an  affectionate  husband  ;  you  would 
wish  him  to  be  worthy  of  the  high  position  which 
we  cannot  doubt  he  is  destined  one  day  to  occupy. 
Born  with  excellent  capacities,  a  life  of  forced  in- 
action has  discouraged  him.  When  he  learns  from 
you  yourself  that  the  best  means  to  please  you  is  to 
make  himself  worthy  of  you,  this  is  all  that  will  be 
needed  to  excite  him  to  study,  and  France  will  one 
day  owe  its  happiness  to  you  ".^ 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  at  the  chapel  of  the 
Palace  at  Mittau,  on  10th  June,  1799,  by  Cardinal 
Montmorency  and  the  Abbe  Edgeworth,-  in  the  pres- 
ence of  many  French  dmigres,  the  nobility  of  Cour- 
land  and  Russian  officials.  Paul  I.  sent  the  bride  a 
diamond  necklace,   and  a  letter  in  which  he  said : 

^  Daudet's  Histoire  de  V emigration. 

2  Who  had  been  with  her  father  at  his  execution. 

132 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

"  Your  misfortunes,  virtues  and  heroic  courage  have 
made  you  an  object  of  interest  to  all  well-disposed 
people.  When  you  re-enter  France  see  only  the 
repentance  of  a  nation  which  deplores  the  crimes  of 
scoundrels  to  whom  she  has  had  the  misfortune  to 
give  birth". 

The  Comte  d'Artois  was  unable  to  be  present  at 
his  son's  marriage,  and  Louis  XVIII.  wrote  him  an 
account  of  it  and  thus  describes  the  bride :  **  She  is 
like  both  her  father  and  mother.  At  the  first  glance 
she  would  not  be  thought  pretty,  but  she  gains  on 
one.  She  is  well  made,  carries  herself  well,  holds  her 
head  to  perfection,  moves  with  ease  and  grace.  Her 
natural  gaiety  has  not  been  destroyed ;  when  her 
thoughts  can  be  turned  from  the  terrible  past,  she 
laughs  heartily.  She  is  sweet,  kind  and  loving,  but 
in  public  her  demeanour  is  that  of  a  Princess  accus- 
tomed to  hold  her  Court.  She  has  the  mind  of  a 
person  of  mature  age,  but  she  is  as  innocent  and  pure 
as  the  day  she  was  born." 

The  Due  d'Angouleme  had  always  wished  to  marry 
his  cousin,  and  his  shyness  soon  wore  off;  the  young 
couple  were  genuinely  in  love  with  each  other.  Louis 
XVIII.  wrote  :  "  I  wish  that  the  Court  of  Vienna, 
who  affected  to  pity  my  niece  for  her  marriage  and 
to  look  upon  her  as  a  victim  to  family  exigencies, 
could  see  them  together  ". 

Napoleon  said  that  Madame  Royale  was  the  only 
man  of  her  family,  and  when  she  returned  to  France, 
after  the  Restoration,  she  became  the  idol  of  the 
army,   but   she   was   not   popular   in   Court   circles. 

133 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Her  rigid  adherence  to  the  etiquette  of  the  old 
rc^gime,  the  horror  (which  she  did  not  attempt  to 
hide)  she  felt  for  all  who  had  taken  any  part  in  the 
Revolution,  many  of  whom  held  high  positions  in 
the  new  Government,  and  a  stiff  ungenial  manner, 
obscured  her  many  fine  qualities  and  real  nobility 
of  heart. 

Louis  XVIII.  said  the  Parisians  could  not  forgive 
her  because  she  could  not  forget. 

At  the  Tuileries  she  used  the  apartments  on  the 
first  floor  that  had  been  her  mother's.  Her  own  little 
sitting-room  was  hung  with  white  velvet  embroidered 
mjieurs  de  lys,  the  last  work  of  Marie  Antoinette  and 
Mme.  Elizabeth.  Her  prie-dieu  was  a  stool  on  which 
her  brother,  Louis  XVII.,  had  sat  in  the  Temple. 
In  it  was  a  drawer  in  which  she  kept  some  treasured 
relics  :  the  black  silk  vest  and  white  cravat  worn  by 
Louis  XVI.  on  the  day  of  his  death,  a  lace  cap  worked 
by  Marie  Antoinette  in  prison,  some  fragments  of  a 
fichu  worn  by  Mme.  Elizabeth  on  the  scaffold.  Every 
year,  on  the  21st  January  and  16th  October,  the  anni- 
versaries of  the  deaths  of  her  father  and  mother,  she 
shut  herself  up  in  this  room  and  passed  the  day  in 
prayer. 

Many  years  of  exile  and  hope  deferred  had 
withered  away  all  traces  of  good  looks  and  given  an 
ineffaceable  tinge  of  melancholy  to  her  appearance 
and  character,  and  her  adherence  to  an  old-fashioned 
and  unbecoming  style  of  dress  exposed  her  to  the 
ridicule  of  the  more  frivolous  Parisians,  but  all  who 
really  knew  her  loved  and  respected  Madame  Royale. 

134 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

When  the  d'Orleans  family  returned  to  Fiance  she 
was  the  first  lady  of  the  Court,  and  also  during  the 
subsequent  reign,  for  the  wife  of  Charles  X.,  as  well 
as  the  wife  of  Louis  XVIII.,  had  died  before  the 
Restoration. 


135 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Life  at  the  Palais  Eoyal — The  Hundred  Days — The  Life  of  the 
d'Orl^ans  Family  in  England — Louis  XVIII. 's  Opinion  of  the 
Due  d'Orleans — His  Eeturn  to  France  with  his  Family. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  in  Paris  Marie  Amelie  gave 
birth  to  her  second  son  ^  the  Due  de  Nemours.^ 

Louis  Philippe  was  much  occupied  in  negotiations 
for  the  settlement  of  his  proper  estates  and  recover- 
ing from  those  into  whose  hands  they  had  fallen.  In 
this  he  was  much  assisted  by  Mdme.  Adelaide  who 
had  a  wonderful  head  for  business.  By  the  help  of 
their  devoted  man  of  business,  Dupin,  they  arrived 
at  an  arrangement  by  which,  after  paying  only 
4,500,000  instead  of  the  25,000,000  demanded,  they 
entered  into  possession  of  their  father's  great  fortune. 

The  Palais  Royal  soon  became  the  meeting-place 
of  the  elite  of  the  old  families  of  France,  as  well  as 
the  marshals,  senators  and  generals  who  had  been 
converted  into  Peers  of  France  during  the  Empire, 
and  also  many  men  who  had  risen  to  eminence  during 
the  Revolution.     The  rigid  etiquette   maintained   at 

1  On  hearing  that  she  had  given  birth  to  a  son  she  said  to  M. 
de  Blacas  :  "  Be  so  good  as  to  tell  the  King  he  has  one  more  faith- 
ful subject  ". 

-  Louis  XVIII.  and  Duchesse  d'Angoul6me  were  godparents. 

136 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

the  Tuileries  made  the  royal  receptions  tedious  and 
a  bore  ;  but  at  the  Palais  Royal  receptions,  which 
were  held  the  first  Wednesday  of  every  month,  there 
was  gaiety  and  movement  and  the  pleasures  and 
amusements  of  good  society.  The  simplicity  and 
graciousness  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  universally 
praised,  and  Mdme.  Adelaide,  who  detested  con- 
ventionality, was  talkative,  and  had  a  very  cordial 
manner,  was  very  popular.  People  stood  a  little  more 
in  awe  of  Marie  Amelie,  who,  Talleyrand  said,  was 
"  the  greatest  great  lady  in  Europe  ". 

Few  people  were  more  intimate  with  the  d'Orleans 
family  than  the  Comtesse  de  Boigne,  and  in  her 
Memoirs  she  speaks  as  follows  of  Marie  Amelie : 
"I  cannot  overestimate  the  veneration  and  tender 
devotion  I  feel  for  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans.  She  was 
adored  by  all  about  her.  The  more  often  any  one 
came  in  contact  with  her,  the  deeper  was  the  venera- 
tion and  respect  she  inspired.  Her  sympathetic  tact 
in  no  way  modified  the  loftiness  of  her  sentiments  and 
the  strength  of  her  character.  She  treated  everybody 
with  the  kindness  natural  to  her,  but  her  attitude  was 
marked  by  such  delicate  shades  of  consideration  that 
each  individual  could  learn  his  position  in  her  society. 
She  had  persuaded  herself  that  she  had  no  head  for 
business  (although  her  opinions  enjoyed  deep  respect 
in  the  family  councils) ;  she  thought  her  sister-in-law 
Adelaide,  had  much  greater  capacity  for  dealing  with 
affairs  and  yielded  to  her  in  questions  of  politics. 
The  sisters-in-law  were  so  diff'erent,  and  belonged  to 
such  widely  separated  schools  of  thought,  that  they 

137 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

would  not  have  been  naturally  congenial  to  each  other 
had  they  not  been  united  by  their  common  devotion  to 
the  Due  d'Orleans.  Mdme.  Adelaide  lived  only  for  her 
brother,  and  never  was  there  an  affection  more  passion- 
ate than  that  of  Marie  Amelie  for  her  husband.  In 
full  dress  her  appearance  was  admirable  ;  she  was  very 
gracious  but  extremely  dignified.  In  her  eyes  there 
was  an  expression  that  seemed  to  emanate  from  a 
pure  and  noble  soul,  and  I  am  convinced  that  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  owed  much  of  the  fascination  that 
she  exercised  over  the  most  hostile  people  to  the  in- 
fluence of  that  glance."^  Excellent  concerts  were 
arranged  under  the  direction  of  Mdme.  Adelaide, 
whose  taste  for  music  had  been  cultivated  by  Mme. 
de  Genlis,  and  who  was  herself  a  fine  harpist. 

Mdme.  Adelaide  delighted  in  showing  Paris  to  her 
sister-in-law ;  together  they  visited  the  old  Paris  of 
legend  and  history.  There  was  not  a  church  or  an 
interesting  place  that  they  left  unvisited.  To  en- 
courage art  they  visited  the  studios,  and  were  often 
seen  at  the  theatres.  They  walked  unattended  in  the 
public  gardens,  conversing  freely  with  any  acquaint- 
ances they  might  meet. 

But  these  good  times  did  not  last  long.  Marie 
Amelie  was  not  yet  to  know  the  blessing  of  a  peaceful 
and  secure  home.  The  d'Orleans  family  had  only  been 
twelve  months  in  France  when  Napoleon  escaped 
from  Elba,  March,  1815,  and  the  King  and  royal 
family  fled  to  Ghent  in  most  undignified  haste. 

^Mme.  de  Boif^ne,  daughter  of  Marquis  d'Osmond,  French 
ambassador  in  London. 

138 


M.  David 
Marie  Amelie,  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  and  her  eldest  son 

THE   Due    DE    ChARTRES 

To  face  ji.  138 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

It  seemed  as  if  all  kings  in  the  nineteenth  century- 
were  obsessed  with  the  fear  of  sharing  the  fate  of  Louis 
XVI.,  and  as  soon  as  their  power  was  threatened,  for 
fear  of  being  too  late,  they  fled  without  striking  a 
blow.  The  King  of  Naples  had  set  the  example,  as 
soon  as  the  French  appeared  on  his  borders.  Louis 
XVIII.  did  the  same  on  the  approach  of  Napoleon — 
Charles  X.  as  soon  as  there  was  a  revolt  against  his 
Ordinances.  Louis  Philippe  did  the  same,  and  the 
year  of  his  flight  saw  the  abdication  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  and  in  the  same  year  the  King  of  Prussia, 
afterwards  the  Emperor  William  L,  having  become 
unpopular  in  Berlin,  fled  in  disguise  to  England.  The 
old  theory  of  the  Divine  Right  of  Kings  was  exploded. 
Kings  apparently  bowed  to  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and 
acknowledged  that  they  reigned  not  "  by  the  Grace 
of  God,"  but  "by  the  Will  of  the  People". 

Louis  XVIII.  did  not  hold  these  opinions,  but  they 
were  forced  on  him.  Well  might  a  young  Italian 
Prince,  the  Duke  of  Parma,  afterwards  King  of 
Etruria,  write  to  a  friend  :  "  In  these  days  a  King's 
calling  is  no  longer  worth  anything,  still  less  that  of 
an  heir-presumptive.  After  much  reflection  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  to  assure  my  own  independence.  I 
think  I  could  do  so  by  setting  up  manufactures  in 
Spain  where  there  are  none.  I  want  you  to  come  and 
help  me.^  My  father-in-law,  the  King  of  Spain,  will 
supply  the  necessary  funds.  When  we  have  made 
our   fortune   we  will   go   to   some  place  where   we 

1  This  letter  is  addressed  to  the  distinguished  scientist,  Comte 
Chaptal,  in  whose  Memoirs  it  is  to  be  found. 

139 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

can  live  in  peace,  if  there  is  such  a  place  left  on 
earth." 

On  the  3rd  of  March,  Louis  XVIII.  (as  he  relates 
in  his  Memoirs)  had  got  out  of  bed  on  the  wrong  side 
and  worried  his  valet  sorely.  While  dressing,  a  packet 
was  brought  to  him.  After  unwinding  many  folds  of 
paper  a  small  sheet  appeared  on  which  were  written 
the  words  :  '*  Tremble,  tyrant !  Bonaparte  is  coming, 
and  the  fate  of  Louis  XYI.  is  reserved  for  thee." 

The  consternation  of  M.  de  Blacas  restored  the 
King  to  good  humour,  for  he  treated  the  matter  as  a 
joke.  However,  on  the  5th  of  March  the  King,  who 
had  been  confined  to  his  room  with  gout,  had  managed 
in  the  evening  to  get  into  the  saloon  and  receive 
visitors.  He  was  enjoying  a  literary  discussion  when 
Blacas  entered  and  announced  that  Bonaparte  had 
landed  at  Frejus.  "  The  remembrance  of  that  moment 
will  be  bitter  to  me  as  long  as  I  live,"  wrote  Louis 
XVIII.  "  I  sent  for  the  Council  of  Ministers  and  said 
to  them  :  '  Bonaparte  has  not  come  recklessly  ;  he  must 
have  supporters  here  who  have  brought  him.  There 
was  a  traitor  among  the  twelve  apostles  ;  I  am  not  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  number  of  generals  is  more  than  twelve, 
but  I  know  at  least  four  who  are  not  loyal  to  me. 
We  must  convoke  a  special  sitting  of  the  Chamber 
and  declare  Bonaparte  rebel  and  outlaw,  and  decree 
that  the  law  against  such  be  carried  out  in  his  case.' 
"  I  sent  for  M.  le  Due  d'Orleans,  wishing  him 
to  accompany  Monsieur,^  who  was  to  go  to  Lyons 

1 "  Monsieur  "  always  means  the  King's  brother,  Comte  d'Artois, 
afterwards  Charles  X. 

140 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

to  rally  the  garrison.  The  Due  cl'Orleans  was  little 
disposed  to  take  the  journey,  but  when  I  demanded 
it  of  him  in  a  peremptory  manner  he  acquiesced.  His 
indignation  against  Bonaparte  was  immense  and  he 
said  these  events  would  prove  who  were  really  my 
friends  or  the  reverse.  He  and  Monsieur  took  leave 
with  a  bustling  air  of  importance." 

They  went  with  Marshal  Macdonald,  who  gave 
vent  to  an  ejaculation  of  despair  when  he  received  the 
King's  command  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
army.  He  came  to  the  Palace  and  told  the  King 
frankly  that  he  was  broken-hearted  at  having  to  fight 
against  his  former  leader  and  Emperor,  but  that  the 
confidence  the  King  showed  in  him  would  not  allow 
him  to  think  of  anything  but  the  duty  of  the  moment. 
His  conduct  was  very  different  to  that  of  Marshal 
Ney,  whose  speech  about  bringing  back  Bonaparte  in 
a  cage  is  so  well  known,  as  is  his  subsequent  desertion 
of  the  Royalist  cause  on  meeting  Bonaparte,  and  the 
penalty  he  suffered  after  the  latter's  defeat  at  Waterloo. 

The  apartments  of  the  Palace  could  not  contain 
the  crowd  that  thronged  there  from  morning  till 
night,  offering  advice,  protesting  loyalty,  and  loud  in 
indignation  against  "  the  Monster  "  Bonaparte. 

The  visits  of  the  Corps  Diplomatique  comforted 
the  King,  who  saw  in  this  a  sign  that  the  Powers 
would  not  desert  him.  "  Messieurs,"  he  said  to  them, 
"  you  see  me  in  a  suffering  state,  but  it  is  from  gout, 
not  from  anxiety  as  to  the  result  of  Bonaparte's 
landing,  for  my  cause  is  the  cause  of  Europe.  If 
Bonaparte  succeeds,  war  will  break  out  everywhere." 

141 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

But  Louis  XVIII.  hardly  knew  who  really  were 
loyal  or  the  reverse.  Marshal  Soult  was  no  speaker, 
and  employed  Michaud  to  compose  a  proclamation 
for  him  to  deliver  to  the  troops.  It  began :  "  Sol- 
diers, who  has  Bonaparte  come  to  seek  ?  Traitors ! 
What  does  he  want  ?  Civil  war  1  Will  he  now  find 
followers  among  the  soldiers  whose  sufferings  he 
has  so  often  exploited  for  his  own  ends  ?  Does 
he  despise  us  enough  to  think  that  we  could  desert 
our  legitimate  Sovereign,  the  father  of  his  people  ? " 
etc.,  etc. 

Marshal  Soult  was  so  afiected  by  the  eloquence 
of  this  proclamation,  that  he  wept  while  reading  it 
aloud  to  the  King,  who,  seeing  him  thus  affected,  did 
not  suspect  that  he  himself  was  one  of  the  traitors, 
and  in  touch  with  Bonaparte. 

Monsieur  and  the  Due  d'0rl6ans  returned  from 
Lyons,  having  been  quite  unsuccessful  in  their  efforts 
to  arouse  the  spirit  of  loyalty  in  the  garrison. 

In  this  emergency  Louis  XVIII.  made  up  his 
mind  to  consult  Fouch6.  The  Allies  had  always  told 
him  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  keep  his  crown  on 
his  head  without  Fouche,  but  his  repugnance  to  the 
regicide  was  too  great  to  allow  Louis  XVIII.  to 
employ  him.  When  he  now  sent  Blacas,  who  was 
every  inch  a  gentleman,  or  as  the  King  said,  "  from 
higher  than  his  head  to  lower  than  his  feet,"  to 
summon  Fouche  to  the  Palace,  Blacas  was  as  much 
dismayed  as  if  he  had  been  sent  to  fetch  Satan  him- 
self. It  was  thought  necessary  to  keep  the  interview 
secret,  so  Fouche  was  introduced  at  night,  in  disguise, 

142 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

to  the  King's  apartments.  He  made  the  three  salutes 
and  then  told  the  King  his  cause  was  lost.  The 
whole  army  had  gone  over  to  Bonaparte,  and  all  the 
lower  classes  were  for  him.  He  said ;  "  Not  a  regi- 
ment will  stand  by  you,  and  the  people  en  masse  will 
desert  you.  Your  only  chance  is  to  place  yourself 
in  safety  in  some  strong  fortress." 

Louis  XVIII.  afterwards  said  that  on  hearing 
these  words  he  felt  as  if  he  were  assisting  at  his  own 
funeral. 

It  was  resolved  to  make  a  last  effort  to  win  over 
the  people,  and  the  King  summoned  the  Assembly 
that  Monsieur  and  the  Princes  might  swear  fealty  to 
the  Constitutional  Charter.  The  Due  d'Orleans  went 
in  the  same  carriage  as  the  King  and  Monsieur.  The 
poor  suffering  King  tried  to  appear  at  ease,  and 
smiled  and  bowed  to  the  populace  en  route.  But  the 
soldiers,  though  they  cried  "  Vive  le  Roi ! "  added 
**  de  Rome  "  under  their  breath.  Monsieur  made  an 
affecting  speech  calling  on  the  Royal  Princes,  Berry 
and  d'Orleans,  to  join  him  in  the  oath  to  be  faithful 
to  the  King  and  the  Charter.  The  Due  d'Orleans 
appeared  much  affected  and  took  the  oath  with 
noticeable  fervour.  All  these  efforts  were  futile. 
After  the  sitting  of  the  Chamber  had  concluded, 
Monsieur  reviewed  the  National  Guard,  but  out  of 
80,000  men  only  500  made  any  pretence  of  loyalty. 
Monsieur,  who  was  very  indignant,  exclaimed:  ''Let 
them  behave  to  Bonaparte  as  they  have  to  us,  and 
our  return  is  assured". 

While  this  review  was  taking  place,  Fouche  sent 

143 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

a  message  that  Bonaparte  was  at  Fontainebleau,  and 
intended  to  seize  all  Bourbons  as  hostages.  "  Do  not 
imagine  you  can  make  a  resistance ;  save  the  King 
and  I  will  save  the  Monarchy." 

A  council  was  held  in  haste  at  the  Palace,  and  an 
immediate  departure  to  Lille  resolved  on,  though  the 
Due  de  Berry  remonstrated,  saying ;  "  Do  not  let  us 
leave  without  firing  a  shot,  if  only  to  show  we  are  not 
afraid  of  powder  ". 

While  preparations  were  being  made,  the  King 
sent  for  the  Due  d'Orleans  and  inquired  what  his 
plans  were.  "  I  have  no  plans,"  replied  the  Duke, 
"  but  to  follow  your  fortunes.  I  am  of  your  family, 
and  consequently  the  enemy  of  those  who  attack  it. 
Those  who  do  not  want  your  Majesty,  do  not  want 
any  Bourbon." 

The  King  was  much  pleased  at  this  speech,  which 
was  uttered  by  the  Due  d'Orleans  in  a  tone  of  con- 
viction, and  remarked  that  he  was  sorry  the  Duke's 
mother  was  unable  to  leave  Paris,  and  would  be  at 
the  mercy  of  Bonaparte.  She  had  had  a  fall  and 
broken  her  thigh,  and  this  prevented  her  travelling. 
Louis  XVIII.  says  in  his  Memoirs :  "  I  was  uneasy 
as  to  the  fate  of  this  venerable  princess,  for  whom 
I  had  a  particular  affection,  and  I  was  much  touched 
by  a  letter  she  wrote  me,  saying  that  if  her  body  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Bonaparte,  yet  her  heart  would 
follow  me  wherever  I  went.  I  am  sure  that  at  this 
time  her  son  was  sincere  and  full  of  good  intentions. 
Having  dismissed  him,  I  wished  to  be  alone  to  rally 
my  courage  for  the  future.     What  miserable  reflec- 

144 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tions  crowded  through  my  brain.  Must  I  drop  the 
sceptre  after  holding  it  only  a  year  ?  At  my  age,  and 
with  my  infirmities,  must  I  again  begin  a  wandering 
life,  dependent  on  others  ?  Eight  days  ago  every  one 
was  ready  to  die  for  me.  Now  the  King  of  France 
with  his  armies,  fleets,  fortresses,  magistrates  and 
people  are  vanquished  by  one  man,  who  landed  as 
a  brigand-chief,  and  traverses  the  country,  ascending 
step  by  step  as  he  goes,  till  he  will  arrive  in  Paris 
Emperor  of  the  French !  All  those  whom  I  had 
covered  with  benefits  racked  their  brains  for  excuses 
not  to  follow  me.  Such  is  human  nature  !  It  is  fool- 
ish to  be  astonished,  more  so  to  be  angry  ". 

When  departure  had  been  decided  on,  the  royal 
party  did  not  seem  able  to  go  quick  enough ;  the 
King's  private  papers  and  his  money  were  left  behind. 

At  midnight,  by  the  light  of  one  torch,  the  King 
made  a  painful  descent  of  the  stairs,  supported  by 
Blacas  and  Duras,  and  was  hoisted  into  his  carriage 
with  difficulty.  To  the  soldiers  and  officers  of  his 
household,  who  were  profoundly  moved  and  tried  to 
kiss  his  hands  or  coat-tails,  he  said :  "  Spare  me,  my 
children,  we  shall  meet  again  "  ! 

The  Princes  followed  half  an  hour  later  with  their 
retinue.  The  soldiers  who  passed  them  on  the  road 
cried  "  Vive  I'Empereur  ! "  and  wore  the  tricolor 
cockade.  At  Lille  the  troops  were  disloyal,  so  the 
royal  party  went  on  to  Ghent. 

After  a  short  time  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  went  to 
England,  whither  he  had  already  sent  his  family. 

The  Duchesse  d'Angoul^me  also  went  to  England, 

145  10 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

after  having  made  a  gallant,  but  vain  attempt,  to  rally 
the  troops  at  Bordeaux.^ 

Though  Fouche  had  accepted  the  Ministry  of 
Police  from  Bonaparte,  he  kept  in  touch  with  the 
Bourbons.  He  wrote  to  the  King  at  Ghent :  "  Bona- 
parte arrived  at  Paris  to-night  amidst  enthusiasm, 
created  by  the  distribution  of  stimulants.  He  is 
changed  ;  his  manner  is  undecided.  The  eighty  mill- 
ions you  left  in  the  Treasury  will  pay  his  first  ex- 
penses, but  though  he  sleeps  to-night  at  the  Tuileries, 
do  not  despair,  you  are  nearer  the  throne  of  France 
than  he  is." 

When  Louis  XVIII.  heard  that  the  Congress  at 
Vienna  had  declared  Bonaparte  an  outlaw,  and  that 
Europe  was  taking  up  arms  against  him,  his  hopes 
revived.  Several  offers  to  assassinate  Bonaparte  were 
made  to  Louis  XVIII.  A  lady  who  had  the  cer- 
tainty of  being  able  to  obtain  an  interview  with  him, 
offered  to  stab  him  if  the  King  would  promise  to 
provide  for  her  sons.  A  head  cook  in  Bonaparte's 
kitchen  offered  to  poison  him  for  the  consideration 
of  a  million  francs.  Louis  XVIII.  was  highly  in- 
dignant. "  I  admit,"  he  writes,  "  that  I  should  have 
been  glad  if  Providence  had  disposed  of  Bonaparte, 
but  to  assassinate  him  by  proxy  was  an  idea  I  would 
not  entertain  even  to  insure  myself  twenty  thrones." 

The  Constitutional  party  in  France  had  always 
looked  to  the  Due  d'Orleans  as  their  hope  and  stay, 
and  after  Waterloo  it  is  known  that  the  Allies  had 
serious   thoughts   of   placing  him  on  the  throne  of 

^  The  Due  d'Angoulome  retired  to  Spain. 
146 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

France,  for  they  saw  that  the  elder  branch  of  the 
House  of  Bourbon  neither  would  nor  could  enter 
into  modern  ideas,  and  despaired  of  their  ever  suc- 
ceeding in  establishing  a  stable  Government  in  France. 

Many  Euroi)ean  princes  were  proposed  as  eligible 
for  the  throne  of  France,  and  Louis  XVIIL  ex- 
claimed indignantly  :  "  I  wonder  they  did  not  send 
to  China  to  see  if  one  of  the  Mandarins  had  claims, 
or  would  be  suitable".  Eugene  Beauharnais  had 
many  partisans  ;  he  had  been  Viceroy  of  Italy,  and 
made  a  very  favourable  impression  on  the  Congress 
of  Vienna.  "  He  is  honour  personified,"  was  said 
of  him. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  decidedly  favoured  the 
choice  of  the  Due  d'Orl^ans,  saying  he  was  the  only 
Bourbon  who  was  really  liberal  minded  or  who  under- 
stood liberal  ideas.  England,  however,  would  not 
consent ;  the  Regent  said  it  would  be  "  a  usurpation  ". 
So  Louis  XVIII.  was  recalled. 

He  said :  **  I  had  to  lie  on  the  bed,  but  I  did  not  make 
it."  He  always  suspected  that  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  had 
designs  on  his  throne,  and  would  not  consent  to  his  re- 
turn to  France.  Other  people  said :  "  The  Due  d'Orleans 
himself  does  not  belong  to  the  Orleanist  faction  ". 

So  the  d'Orleans  family  lived  on  quietly  in  Eng- 
land, first  at  the  Star  and  Garter  hotel  at  Richmond, 
then  at  a  house  at  Twickenham,  since  so  well  known 
as  Orleans  House.  The  Princess  Charlotte,  only  child 
of  George  IV.  and  heiress-presumptive  to  the  English 
throne,  was  living  with  her  husband.  Prince  Leopold 
of  Saxe-Coburg,  at  Claremont,  and  the  Duchess  of 

147 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

York  was  at  Oatlands.  They  frequently  interchanged 
visits  with  the  d'Orleans  family  and  were  on  very 
friendly  terms  with  them.  At  the  baptism  of  a 
dausrhter  born  to  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  at  Twicken- 
ham,  a  banquet  was  given  at  Orleans  House,  and  the 
Regent  with  his  brothers,  the  Dukes  of  Kent  and 
Gloucester,  were  present.  Two  years  were  spent  in 
England  before  the  King  gave  permission  for  the 
d'Orleans  family  to  return  to  France. 

Marie  Am^He  said  she  would  have  been  happy  in 
England  could  she  have  forgotten  that  she  was  a  wife 
and  mother,  and  that  the  house  was  not  her  own. 
Louis  XVIII.  yielded  with  great  reluctance  to  the 
entreaties  of  the  Due  d'Orleans'  mother,  that  her  son 
might  be  allowed  to  return  to  France ;  to  these  en- 
treaties were  added  the  wishes  of  Comte  d'Artois 
and  even  of  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  who  was 
moved  by  her  love  and  sympathy  for  Marie  Amelie. 

"When  I  signed  his  recall,"  he  wrote  in  his 
Memoirs,  "  I  said  to  the  minister  who  brought  me  the 
document,  '  Let  this  pen  be  kept ;  it  will  do  to  use 
at  the  abdication  of  those  who  persuade  me  to  do 
this '.  M.  d'Orleans  has  the  misfortune  to  please  my 
enemies,  and  his  party  are  very  active.  I  do  him 
justice  in  saying  that  he  will  not  conspire  to  obtain 
my  throne,  but  he  will  not  refuse  it  should  it  one  day 
be  offered  to  him,  with  a  chance  of  his  being  able  to 
retain  it." 

It  was  not  altogether  surprising  that  Louis  XVIII. 
should  have  these  suspicions,  for  Fouche  had  told 
him  that  it  was  the  Due  d'Orleans  who  would  pick 

148 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

up  the  sceptre  should  it  fall  from  the  hand  of  the 
King,  or  of  his  brother,  and  that  every  mistake  made 
by  the  Government  of  Louis  XVIII.  brought  the  Due 
d'Orleans  a  step  nearer  to  the  throne. 

However,  permission  to  return  was  given,  and  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  her  sister-in-law  Adelaide,  and 
the  little  Princes  and  Princesses  arrived  at  the  Palais 
Royal  on  15th  April,  1817.  The  journey  from  Lon- 
don had  taken  eight  days. 

Accompanied  by  the  Due  d'Orleans,  they  went 
next  day  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  royal  family ; 
their  reception  was  not  gratifying. 

Luncheon  was  waiting  when  they  returned  to  the 
Palais  Royal ;  as  they  seated  themselves  at  the  table 
gloom  was  on  every  face,  and  was  only  dispersed 
when  a  large  dish  of  smoking  hot  cakes  was  brought 
in.^ 

"  Ah  1 "  they  cried,  "  Palais  Royal  cakes ! "  and  felt 
at  home  and  on  their  native  soil  again,  and  that 
life  had  compensations  even  for  the  black  looks  of 
royalty ! 

After  his  return  from  Ghent,  yielding  to  the  advice 
of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  of  Monsieur,  and  many 
friends  who  thought  the  regicide  Fouch^  indispens- 
able, Louis  XVIII.  appointed  him  Minister  of  Police. 
Louis  had  the  greatest  reluctance  to  do  this,  and  says 
in  his  Memoirs :  "  No  one  understood  the  torture  it 
cost  me  to  be  civil  to  one  of  my  brother's  murderers, 
for  so  I  considered  him.  I  felt  humiliated,  and 
blushed  even  when  alone,  at  the  thought  of  it.     I 

1  See  Memoires  de  la  Comtesse  de  Boigne. 
149 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

stifled  my  own  feelings  out  of  consideration  for  the 
public  welfare." 

Soon  after  his  entry  into  the  Ministry  of  Louis 
XVIII. ,  Fouche,  who  was  sixty-three  years  of  age, 
married  one  of  the  heiresses  of  the  House  of  Castel- 
lane.  The  wedding  was  celebrated  with  much  mag- 
nificence, and  was  attended  by  many  representatives 
of  the  old  French  nobility ;  at  the  bottom  of  the  con- 
tract was  the  signature  of  the  King,  brother  of  Louis 
XVIII.     Fouche  was  indeed  triumphant ! 

During  the  last  years  of  his  reign  Louis  XVIII. 
was  entirely  under  the  influence  of  Mme.  du  Cayla. 
Zoe  Victoire  Talon  was  the  daughter  of  an  old  Parlia- 
mentary family.  She  had  been  educated  by  Madame 
Campan  at  the  Institution,  which  Lamartine  called 
"A  school  for  female  diplomats,"  and  had  greatly 
profited  by  the  teaching  received  there.  She  was 
married  to  Comte  du  Cayla,  a  man  of  ancient  descent, 
attached  to  the  household  of  the  Condes.  Comte 
and  Comtesse  du  Cayla  did  not  suit  each  other,  and 
separated,  but  the  Comtesse  preserved  the  affection 
of  her  mother-in-law,  who  was  attached  to  the  house- 
hold of  the  Comtesse  de  Provence,  and  who  on  her 
deathbed  begged  the  Comte  de  Provence  (Louis 
XVIII.)  to  protect  her  daughter-in-law  from  her 
husband,  who  intended  instituting  proceedings  for 
restoration  of  conjugal  rights  and  the  custody  of 
children.  Thus  the  acquaintance  of  Louis  XVIII. 
and  Mme.  du  Cayla  began.  She  made  a  complete 
conquest  of  him,  and  visited  him  at  Hartwell.  After 
the  Restoration  their  intimacv  increased  :  it  was  an 

150 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

intellectual  friendship,  and  she  used  her  influence  to 
serve  a  political  party,  the  Extreme  right.  She  was 
the  friend  of  Mathieu  de  Montmorency,  the  Abb6 
de  Montesquiou  and  Sosthene  de  Rochefoucauld. 
"  Monsieur  "  also  approved  of  her,  and  told  her  that 
she  made  a  noble  use  of  the  affection  and  confidence 
which  his  brother,  the  King,  showed  to  her.  By  one 
party  she  was  considered  a  corrupt  intriguer,  by  the 
other  a  pious  Esther,  friend  of  the  Church  and  pro- 
tectress of  a  good  cause.  Mme.  du  Cayla  seldom 
appeared  at  Court,  but  used  to  go  to  the  King's  apart- 
ment for  a  three  hours'  Ute-a-tete  three  days  a  week. 

He  presented  her  with  a  fine  estate,  St.  Ouen, 
after  erecting  a  splendid  chateau  on  it.  He  composed 
an  inscription  for  the  foundation-stone  of  the  build- 
ing, saying  that  Mme.  du  Cayla's  fine  qualities  and 
elevated  sentiments  made  her  worthy  to  be  the  friend 
of  the  King,  and  that  her  friendship  had  been  a  com- 
fort and  support  to  him  through  all  his  troubles,  and 
in  the  burden  of  aSairs  of  State.  This  stone  was 
laid  in  presence  of  Mme.  du  Cayla  and  her  brother, 
Mar^chal  Talon,  and  of  Vicomte  Sosthene  de  Roche- 
foucauld, aide-de-camp  of  "Monsieur". 

Although  it  is  anticipating  to  speak  of  the  death 
of  the  King,  as  a  proof  of  her  influence,  it  has  been 
often  quoted  that  when  he  lay  a-dying,  the  royal 
family  sent  for  Mme.  du  Cayla,  and  that  it  was 
through  her  persuasions  that  he  was  induced  to  con- 
fess and  receive  the  last  sacraments. 

But  we  think  that  the  exertion  of  such  influence 
could   have   hardly   been   necessary.      Whatever  his 

151 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

private  opinions  may  have  been,  Louis  XVIII.  v^as 
too  strongly  attached  to  tradition,  too  well  aware  of 
what  was  the  right  thing  for  the  deathbed  of  ''the 
most  Christian  king,"  to  have  forgone  these  religious 
observances. 


152 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

Life  at  the  Palais  Royal — General  Admiration  felt  for  Marie 
Am^lie — The  Education  of  her  Sons — The  Marriage  of  the 
Due  de  Berry  to  Marie  Amelie's  Niece — The  Assassination 
of  the  Due  de  Berry — The  Birth  of  the  Due  de  Bordeaux. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  spent  eleven  million  francs  on  re- 
storing the  Palais  Royal  to  its  former  magnificence, 
and  it  soon  became  the  centre  of  society  in  Paris, 
men  of  merit  of  all  ranks  and  every  shade  of  opinion 
being  welcome  there.  The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  did 
not  take  a  prominent  part  in  conversation.  She  says 
in  her  journal :  "  I  listen  to  what  is  said  in  silence, 
but  I  make  my  own  reflections  ". 

However,  her  influence  was  felt,  and  one  who 
hated  all  Bourbons,  but  admired  her  eldest  son,  the 
Due  de  Chartres,  said ;  "  He  is  charming,  but  it 
would  be  impossible  for  him  not  to  have  good  man- 
ners when  his  mother  is  the  most  polished  princess 
in  Europe  ". 

Adelaide  d'Orleans  was  a  fine  musician,  and  Marie 
Amelie  had  talent  for  painting.  When  a  girl,  she 
had  received  instruction  at  Naples  from  the  cele- 
brated Angelica  Kaufmann  ;  so  musicians  and  artists, 
as  well  as  scientists,  men  of  letters,  politicians  and 
Ministers   of    State   were   welcomed   at   the    Palais 

153 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Royal,  together  with  the  (^lite  of  the  Court  and 
aristocracy. 

Sometimes  when  there  was  a  large  assembly  in 
the  salon,  a  bell  was  heard  ;  it  was  the  signal  for 
the  arrival  of  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  and  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  and  on  hearing  it  the  Dae  d'Or- 
leans  would  hasten  to  the  top  of  the  staircase  to  meet 
them,  and  escort  them  to  the  salon. 

The  Diic  de  Berry,  second  son  of  Comte  d'Artois, 
had  married  Maria  Carolina  of  the  Two  Sicilies,  niece 
of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans.  This  drew  the  d'Orleans 
family  into  closer  intimacy  with  their  royal  cousins. 
Though  Louis  XVIII.  was  never  friendly,  yet  Comte 
d'Artois  and  his  sons  and  their  wives  often  dined  at 
the  Palais  Royal.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  an 
important  person  at  the  French  Court.  The  Duchesse 
d'Angouleme  having  no  children,  the  young  Duchesse 
de  Berry  was  expected  to  provide  an  heir  to  the 
throne.  She  was  far  from  pretty ;  her  figure  was 
clumsy,  she  squinted  badly,  and  her  features  were 
irregular,  but  she  had  that  indescribable  gift  called 
"  charm " ;  the  moment  she  spoke  her  ugliness  was 
forgotten,  her  manners  were  unaffected  and  affable, 
she  was  bright,  lively  and  fond  of  amusement,  and 
refused  to  submit  to  the  rigorous  etiquette  of  the 
Tuileries.  She  brought  some  brightness  into  Court 
circles.  As  for  the  Due  de  Berry  he  was  much  older 
than  his  wife ;  during  the  long  years  of  his  father's 
exile  he  had,  trying  all  the  Courts  of  Europe  in  suc- 
cession, tried  in  vain  to  obtain  a  wife.  He  had  once 
applied  at  Naples  for  the  hand  of  Marie  Am^lie  her- 

154 


The  Duchesse  p'Angouleme  (Madame  RoY.iiE) 

Ti>  face  II.  154 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

self,  whose  niece  eventually  became  his  wife.  It  is 
on  record  that  the  King  of  Sardinia^  spoke  of  his 
attempt  to  obtain  his  daughter  as  follows  :  "  From 
letters  received  from  time  to  time  from  Louis  XVIII.'^ 
I  perceive  he  wishes  to  arrange  a  marriage  between 
Beatrice  and  his  nephew,  the  Due  de  Berry.  I  always 
pretend  not  to  understand,  for  it  would  be  marrying 
her  to  hunger  and  thirst,  and  turn  my  daughter 
into  a  vagabond,  without  food  or  lodging.  I  think 
Beatrice  would  suffer  less  from  poverty,  be  less  ex- 
posed to  bad  company,  by  remaining  with  me  than 
with  Berry,  who  is  not  likely  to  treat  her  well." 

The  Due  de  Berry's  numerous  liaisons  were  com- 
mon talk  throughout  Europe,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  he  was  actually  married  to  an  English  mistress. 
Amy  Brown.  So  much  so,  that  when  he  proposed 
for  the  hand  of  Marie  Amelie's  niece,  the  Court  of 
Naples,  though  willing,  now  that  his  position  was 
improved  and  settled  as  heir-presumptive  to  France, 
to  consent  to  the  marriage,  it  was  on  condition  that 
the  Pope  would  annul  the  English  marriage.^  Some 
excuse  must  be  made  for  the  Due  de  Berry,  on 
account  of  his  miserable  position,  for  many  years,  as 
one  of  the  family  of  a  pretender  to  the  French  crown, 
living  in  enforced  idleness  in  exile.  Debarred  from 
entering  a  profession  as  a  private  individual  might 
do,   having   no   outlet   for   his   energies,  it  was  not 

^  Then  in  exile.  ^  Uncle  of  Due  de  Berry. 

^  Vicomte  de  Reiset,  by  his  researches,  has  proved  that  there 
was  no  marriage.  His  work  is  entitled  :  Les  Enfants  du  Due  de 
Berry.     Pub.  Emile  Paul,  Paris,  1905. 

155 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

perhaps  surprising  that  the  Due  de  Berry,  who  had 
no  intellectual  resources,  should  give  way  to  sensual 
gratifications,  take  what  compensation  he  could  out 
of  such  pleasures  as  were  open  to  him,  in  creating  for 
himself  a  little  home  in  exile. 

With  all  his  faults,  the  Due  de  Berry  had  some 
generous  qualities,  which  won  the  liking  and  attach- 
ment of  those  who  knew  him  well.  There  is  no 
reason  to  believe  that  the  young  Sicilian  Princess 
was  unhappy  in  her  married  life.  She  was  on  the 
best  of  terms  with  her  husband  from  the  first.  On 
her  journey  to  France  she  received  a  letter  from  him, 
in  replying  to  which  she  said :  "  Your  letter  was  very 
welcome,  but  written  too  hastily.  The  pleasure  I 
had  in  reading  it  was  spoilt  by  the  difficulty  of  de- 
ciphering your  writing." 

In  connection  with  the  marriage  ceremony,  Louis 
XVIII.  relates  that,  desiring  to  do  honour  to  his 
niece,  he  had  a  coat  made  of  royal  blue,  his  favourite 
colour,  and  adorned  with  pearl  embroidery ;  to  com- 
plete the  costume  he  wore  velvet  shoes,  the  "  Regent " 
diamond  in  his  hat,  and  the  "  Saci "  on  his  sword, 
and  considered  himself  superbly  dressed ;  but  the 
compliments  he  received  were  of  a  nature  to  make 
him  think  that  his  usual  plain  style  of  dress  was  con- 
sidered more  becoming ! 

There  was  more  depth  of  character  in  the  Duchesse 
de  Berry  than  was  generally  recognised.  She  retained 
a  very  deep  affection  for  her  grandmother.  Queen 
Maria  Carolina  of  Naj^les,  and  often  said  :  "  She  was 
a  second  mother  to  me,  and  I  shall  always  regret 

156 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

that  I  could  not  be  with  her  in  her  last  days  at 
Vienna  ". 

After  coming  to  Paris,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  one 
day  entered  a  drawing-room  where  she  perceived 
Lord  William  Bentinck,  who  had  exiled  her  grand- 
mother from  Sicily.  She  shuddered,  turned  pale,  and 
at  once  left  the  room. 

The  charities  of  both  the  Due  and  Duchesse  de 
Berry  were  immense.  One  bitter  cold  winter's  night 
she  was  going  to  a  fete,  and  said,  "  I  cannot  enjoy 
myself  when  I  think  of  all  the  poor  are  suffering,"  and 
summoning  her  treasurer  she  ordered  him  to  send 
1,000  francs  to  each  of  the  twelve  mayors  of  the  De- 
partments of  Paris,  with  the  command  to  buy  wood 
and  distribute  it  that  very  night. 

Her  almoner  was  the  Marquis  de  Bombelles  who 
had  been  an  ambassador  of  Louis  XVI.,  a  major- 
general  in  the  army,  a  priest  and  canon,  and  finally 
Bishop  of  Amiens  and  almoner  to  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry. 

Of  this  player  of  many  parts  it  is  recorded  that 
being  accompanied  by  his  sons  ^  to  a  reception  in 
Paris,  on  being  asked  by  the  groom  of  the  chambers 
whom  to  announce — as  celibacy  was  compulsory  on 
the  clergy  it  would  hardly  have  done  to  announce 
"  the  Bishop  of  Amiens  and  his  sons  " — he  got  out 
of  the  difficulty  by  saying  :  "Announce  the  Bishop  of 
Amiens,  and  the  nephews  of  the  Comte  de  Bombelles  " 
(his  brother). 

One  of  his  sons,  Charles  de   Bombelles,  became 

^  Who  of  course  were  born  before  he  entered  the  Church. 

157 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

first  the  chamberlain  and  then  the  third  husband  of 
Marie  Louise,  Napoleon's  widow. 

One  of  the  Bishop's  daughters  was  lady-in-waiting 
to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  her  mother  had  held  the 
same   position  in  the  household  of  Mme.  Elizabeth. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry's  first  equerry  was  Comte 
Charles  de  Mesnard,  a  staunch  Royalist,  who  had 
preferred  to  earn  a  living  by  copying  music  in  London 
to  accepting  Napoleon's  offer  of  restoring  his  confis- 
cated estates  if  Comte  de  Mesnard  would  enter  his 
service. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  very  fond  of  her  aunt, 
Marie  Am61ie,  and  there  was  no  place  where  she 
enjoyed  herself  more  than  at  the  Palais  Royal ;  she 
thought  Marie  Amelie's  eldest  son  the  Due  de  Chartres 
would  be  an  ideal  son-in-law. 

He,  when  he  heard  the  cannon  announcing  the 
birth  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's  first  child  said  : 
"  Either  my  wife  or  my  king  has  come  into  the  world." 
The  child  was  a  girl,  known  as  Mile.  dArtois. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  may  be  said  to  have  filled 
at  the  Court  of  Louis  XVIII.  the  same  position  as 
the  Duchess  of  Burgundy  filled  at  the  Court  of  Louis 
XIV.  She  was  the  rising  sun.  She  was  on  the  best 
of  terms  with  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  as  well  as 
the  rest  of  the  royal  family. 

The  Due  de  Berry  had  become  unpopular  and  had 
received  several  letters  threatening  his  life.  He  payed 
no  attention,  saying  :  "  If  they  really  meant  to  kill  me 
they  would  not  warn  me  of  it ". 

However,  on   13th   February,  1820,  he  and   the 

158 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Duchess  went  to  the  Opera.  Between  the  scenes 
they  went  to  visit  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orlcans, 
who  were  in  a  box  with  their  children.  M.  le  Due 
de  Berry  caressed  the  children  and  played  with  the 
young  Due  de  Chartres.  The  audience  applauded 
this  scene,  which  proved  the  cordial  relations  existing 
between  the  elder  and  junior  branches  of  the  House 
of  Bourbon. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry,  not  feeling  well,  left  be- 
fore the  opera  was  over.  Her  husband  had  placed 
her  in  her  carriage  and  saying  "  Au  revoir,  a  bientot," 
was  turning  back  into  the  theatre,  when  a  man  stand- 
ins  near  rushed  at  him  and  stabbed  him  to  the  heart. 
"  This  man  has  killed  me,"  cried  the  Due  de  Berry,  stag- 
gering into  the  hall ;  he  was  afterwards  carried  to  the 
little  room  adjoining  his  box.  He  asked  if  the 
assassin  was  a  stranger,  and  on  being  told  that  he 
was  not,  said :  "  It  is  cruel  fate  to  die  by  the  hand  of 
a  Frenchman.  What  have  I  ever  done  to  this  man  ; 
I  must  have  offended  him  unwittingly."  The  Comte 
d'Artois  told  his  son  that  he  had  never  seen  or  spoken 
to  the  man,  who  could  have  no  grudge  against  him 
personally. 

The  Due  de  Berry  said  he  wished  to  live  till  the 
King  arrived  that  he  might  ask  him  to  pardon  the 
assassin,  and  was  restless  till  he  had  done  so.  A 
priest  was  summoned  and  he  confessed  with  much 
piety,  and  he  also  told  his  wife  that  he  would  like  to 
see  his  two  daughters,  born  in  England,  the  children 
of  Amy  Brown.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  them 
brought,  and  told  him   she  would  be  their   mother. 

159 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

She   also   said  to   Mile.    d'Artois :  "  They  are   your 
sisters,  I  now  have  three  daughters  ". 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  seemed  much  concerned 
about  these  children,  and  commended  them  to  the 
King,  who  promised  to  recognise  them. 

Even  at  such  a  moment  Louis  XVIII.  could 
think  of  the  importance  of  rank  and  titles,  and  after 
a  few  minutes'  consideration  said :  "I  create  the 
eldest  Comtesse  de  Vierzon,  and  the  second  Uom- 
tesse  dTssodun.^ 

It  is  somewhat  pathetic  that  even  on  his  deathbed 
the  Due  de  Berry's  instinct  of  the  respect  and  con- 
sideration due  to  the  King  was  so  strong  that  he 
apologised  for  having  disturbed  his  night's  rest ! 

With  his  last  breath  the  Due  de  Berry  again  asked 
the  King  to  pardon  his  assassin.  The  King  evaded 
the  promise.  The  assassin  Louvel,  a  saddler  of 
Versailles,  was  brought  to  trial.  He  said  that  con- 
sidering the  Bourbons  the  worst  enemies  of  France, 
he  chose  out  the  Due  de  Berry  as  being  the  youngest 
and  able  to  continue  the  race.  Louvel's  trial  lasted 
114  days,  so  anxious  were  the  authorities  to  discover 
accomplices,  but  they  failed  to  do  so.  He  was  con- 
demned to  death  and  executed  in  presence  of  a  vast 
concourse  of  people,  1st  May,  1832. 

The  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  and  Mile. 
Adelaide  were  present  at  this  deathbed  scene  ;  they 
had  hastened  to  join  the  royal  party  as  soon  as  the 
news  of  the  attempt  on  the  Due  de  Berry's  life  reached 
them.     When   all    was   over   Marie   Amelie   accom- 

1  These  were  the  names  of  the  two  chief  towns  in  Berry. 

160 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

panied  her  niece  to  St.  Cloud,  where  she  passed  the 
first  days  of  her  widowhood,  and  would  not  leave 
her  till  the  first  violence  of  her  grief  was  over,  and 
she  had  become  more  calm  and  resigned.  The  vicissi- 
tudes through  which  Marie  Am^lie  had  passed  led 
to  her  being  astonished  at  nothing  that  happened. 
She  early  became  apt  as  a  consoler,  compassionate, 
sympathetic,  experienced ;  to  her  no  sort  of  sorrow 
or  trouble  was  a  novelty. 

She  was  looked  upon  as  the  guardian  angel  of  the 
d'Orleans  family.  If  she  happened  to  be  ill,  despair 
reigned  at  the  Palais  Royal.  The  husband,  the  child- 
ren, the  friends,  the  servants  would  not  stir,  and 
hardly  dared  look  at  each  other.  The  Due  d'Orleans, 
usually  the  most  self-controlled  of  men,  completely 
lost  his  head,  and  could  not  hide  his  grief  even  at 
her  bedside.  Afterwards,  when  she  had  recovered, 
Marie  Amelie  said  :  "  I  thank  God  for  having  allowed 
me  to  see  how  much  my  husband  loves  me  ". 

He  used  to  say  :  "  There  are  no  more  Amelies  ". 

Two  of  the  tutors  of  the  d'Orleans  Princes, 
Cuvillier  Fleury,  tutor  to  Due  d'Aumale,  and  Trog- 
non,^  tutor  to  Prince  de  Joinville,  have  left  letters 
and  journals,  from  which  are  to  be  gathered  many 
details  of  the  daily  life  of  the  d'Orleans  family,  who 
lived  more  like  wealthy  bourgeois  than  royal  Princes. 

Louis  XVIII.  accused  the  Due  d'Orleans  of  popu- 
larity hunting ;  he  certainly  took  part  in  all  liberal 
movements,  and  he  made  a  new  departure  in  the 
education   of  Princes  of  the  Blood,  by  entering  his 

^  He  also  wrote  Life  of  Marie  Amdlie. 

161  11 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAEIE  AMELIE 

two  eldest  sons  as  pupils  at  the  College  Henri  Quatre. 
Louis  XVIII.  greatly  disapproved  of  this  step,  as 
derogatory  to  the  dignity  of  their  position,  and  find- 
ing that  his  remonstrances  with  the  Due  d'0rl6ans 
were  ineffectual,  endeavoured  to  induce  Marie  Amelie 
to  exercise  her  influence,  and  to  dissuade  her  husband 
from  this  step ;  but  she  refused  to  do  so,  and  wrote 
the  King  a  long  letter,  in  which  she  said  it  was  her 
duty  to  defer  to  her  husband's  wishes,  but  that  on 
this  occasion  they  coincided  with  her  own  conviction 
that  the  arrangement  would  be  most  beneficial  to  her 
sons. 

Baron  Haussmann  in  his  Memoirs  says  :  "  During 
my  course  at  the  College  Henri  Quatre,  I  was  a 
fellow  pupil  with  M.  de  Chartres,  and  we  were  on 
friendly  terms.  He  was  a  good  student  and  often 
placed  among  the  first  ten  on  the  form  of  honour. 
His  brother,  M.  de  Nemours,  entered  the  College  at 
a  later  date.  The  Princes  were  accompanied  by  their 
tutors,  who,  during  the  intervals  of  classes,  gave  them 
private  instruction  in  a  room  reserved  for  them. 
They  dined  at  the  same  table  as  we  did  at  noon, 
but  their  viands  were  served  on  silver-plate,  and  were 
different  to  the  food  of  the  other  pupils.  They  sat 
at  one  end  of  the  table,  next  to  the  College  Principal. 
I  used  to  sit  next  to  M.  de  Chartres ;  we  did  not 
use  his  title,  simply  calling  him  'Chartres,'  and  his 
brother,  *  Nemours  ' ". 

It  would  seem  that  if  a  democratic  equality  was 
the  motive  of  sending  the  Princes  to  a  public  college, 
it  was  a  great  mistake  that  they  did  not  share  the 

162 


:^  ^-«c«aiK„ii;i^,3s2c«'J>!f-ji? 


Ferdinand,  Due  de  Chartres,  eldest  son  of  Queen  Marie  Amelie 
AND  KiXG  Louis  Philippe.     Born  at  Palermo,  1810 

To  face  p.  162 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

fare  of  the  other  pupils.  The  Due  d'Orleans  ex- 
ercised great  watchfulness  over  the  education  of  his 
sons.  Each  had  a  tutor  to  accompany  him  to  and 
from  college,  and  superintend  the  preparation  of 
next  day's  lessons. 

Each  tutor  had  to  furnish  their  pupil's  father  every 
evening  with  an  account  of  their  charge's  conduct, 
studies,  and  traits  of  character  observed.  From  these 
reports  flattery  was  conspicuously  absent.  The  Due 
d'Orleans  read  these  reports  very  carefully,  and  re- 
turned them  with  his  remarks  to  the  tutors.  M. 
de  Larnac,  tutor  of  the  Due  de  Nemours,  disapproved 
of  his  pupil  taking  part  in  fetes^  receptions,  and  other 
"  worldly  duties  "  which  distracted  his  attention  from 
his  studies. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  said:  "I  think  that  child- 
hood being  the  prelude  of  life,  boys  should  do  other 
things  besides  study,  and  should,  by  mixing  in  the 
world,  receive  ideas.  The  disadvantages  incident  to 
the  mode  of  life  our  position  entails,  should  not  be 
exaggerated,  nor  its  advantages  obscured.  I  will, 
on  the  first  opportunity,  talk  over  this  matter  with 
M.  de  Larnac,  as  I  wish  to  be  in  accord  with 
my  sons'  tutors  as  to  the  general  system  of  their 
education." 

The  young  princes  certainly  had  no  spare  time, 
for  besides  their  college  course,  they  had  lessons 
in  English,  German,  drawing  and  dancing,  and 
Mgr.  Dupanloup  gave  instructions  daily  in  catechism. 
M.  de  Larnac  remarks  ironically  "  Sunday  was 
Franconi's   day,"  for    on    that     day   the    celebrated 

163 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE  ^ 

horseman  gave  riding  lessons  to  the  Due  de  Nemours, 
who  delighted  in  them,  though  he  was  often  slack 
in  his  other  studies.  On  the  5th  February,  1824, 
M.  de  Larnac  put  in  his  report.  "Much  indo- 
cility  and  impertinence  during  English  lesson.  He 
was  deprived  of  dessert.  I  read  to  him  the  note 
that  Mgr.  Due  d'Orleans  had  put  on  previous 
day,  'English  must  go  on'.  At  first  he  did  not 
understand,  but  when  I  threatened  to  report  his 
ignorance,  he  hastened  to  translate  the  sentence,  and 
then  said  it  was  not  his  fault.  It  was  mine,  any- 
body's except  his  own,"  concludes  the  irate  tutor. 

Later  in  the  month  M.  de  Larnac  reports  :  "  It  is 
unfortunate  that  the  Due  de  Nemours  always  aggra- 
vates any  fault  that  he  has  committed  by  ridiculous, 
senseless,  or  impertinent  remarks  ". 

The  Due  d'Orleans  annotated:  "Pythagoras  said 
that  a  wise  man  turns  his  tongue  round  his  mouth 
seven  times  before  speaking.  Nemours,  who  is  natur- 
ally slow  to  decide,  or  to  answer  when  addressed,  and 
who  often  cannot  succeed  in  opening  his  mouth  when 
he  ought  to,  must  be  made  to  understand  that  he  is 
more  blamable  than  another  when  he  falls  into  the 
opposite  extreme,  and  I  recommend  him  to  practise 
the  maxim  of  Pythagoras  when  he  is  blamed." 

The  Due  de  Nemours  outgrew  his  boyish  failings 
and  became  a  very  noble  character. 

On  the  Due  d'Orleans'  birthday  his  sons  and 
daughters  offered  him  specimens  of  their  own  work  as 
presents.  In  1828  we  hear  of  the  Due  de  Nemours 
presenting  the  drawing  of  a  head  ;  Prince  de  Joinville, 

164 


Fran(,'Ois  Prince  de  Joinville 
Born  at  Neuilly,  1818 


To  face  p.  164 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

a  geographical  chart ;  and  the  eldest  daughter, 
Princess  Louise,  the  episode  of  Ugolino  translated 
into  French,  English  and  German. 

The  d'0rl6ans  family  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  at 
their  country,  or  rather  suburban,  house  at  Neuilly. 
They  had  seven  children  ^  at  that  time,  four  boys  and 
three  girls.  The  third  son,  the  Prince  de  Joinville, 
who  was  born  on  14th  August,  1813,  at  Neuilly,  de- 
scribed it  in  after  life  in  his  Souvenirs.  "  I  cannot," 
he  says,  "  write  the  name  of  Neuilly  without  emotion, 
for  it  is  associated  with  the  happiest  days  of  my  child- 
hood. It  was  a  vast  chateau,  without  pretensions  to 
architectural  beauty  ;  all  the  rooms  were  on  the  ground 
floor  on  a  level  with  delightful  gardens.  It  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  immense  park  stretching  from  the 
fortifications  of  Paris  to  the  Seine.  In  the  grounds 
were  woods,  orchards,  fields,  islands,  all  within  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  from  Paris.  This  fine  domain 
was  the  favourite  residence  of  my  mother  and  father 
who  created  it,  and  year  by  year  embellished  it,  and 
who  delighted  in  their  life  there  surrounded  by  their 
numerous  children,  who  they  loved  so  tenderly,  and 
who  returned  their  love  so  warmly  ;  it  was  also  our 
favourite  home.  We  got  up  at  five  to  have  a  gallop 
round  the  park  before  going  to  college.  On  the 
Thursday  and  Saturday  half-holidays  the  whole  troup 
of  we  children  enjoyed  ourselves  to  the  full  with 
country  pleasures.  Sundays  and  half-holidays  were  de- 
voted to  recreative  pursuits — drawing,  music,  dancing, 

1  Montpensier  and  Penthi6vre  were  born  later.     Two  died — 
Penthievre  and  a  girl  who  was  bom  in  England. 

165 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

fencing  and  riding.  The  collegians  dined  with  the 
boarders,  and  returned  in  the  evening.  The  non- 
collegians  and  the  girls  passed  the  day  at  their  lessons. 
In  the  evening  pupils  and  preceptors  of  both  sexes 
dined  together  and  then  went  to  the  drawing-room, 
where  both  at  the  Palais  Royal  and  Neuilly  there  was 
generally  a  good  deal  of  company,  for  my  parents 
received  every  evening.  On  Sundays  elders  and  j  uniors 
all  dined  together.  And  this  routine  went  on  like 
clockwork  summer  and  winter." 

If,  for  any  reason,  one  or  more  of  the  children  were 
separated  even  for  a  day  or  two  from  their  parents  by 
being  left  at  Neuilly,  while  the  parents  were  at  Paris 
or  vice  versa,  the  children  wrote  daily  to  their  mother, 
who  sent  replies.  It  is  in  these  letters  that  we  find 
the  true  Marie  Am^lie,  enthusiastic,  full  of  energy  and 
wit,  not  sparing  in  affectionate  phrases  and  epithets,^ 
giving  her  opinion  freely  on  all  points,  though  at  the 
Palais  Royal  receptions  she  was  very  sparing  of  words, 
and  expressed  herself  mainly  by  smiles  or  gestures, 
sometimes  sad,  sometimes  gay. 

This  correspondence  with  her  children  played  an 
important  part  in  Marie  Amelie's  life ;  her  letters  to 
her  second  son,  the  Due  de  Nemours,  are  particularly 
intimate  and  frequent.  When  he  was  ten  years  old, 
he  had  been  sent  to  Eu  for  sea  bathing,  and  his 
mother  wrote  :  "  I  am  very  pleased  that  you  do  not 
fail  to  write  daily  ;  also  with  the  way  you  behaved 
with    the  Duchesse   de  Berry,    and   your   efforts   to 

^  On  one  occasion  she  calls  Nemours  "  Cherissima,"  and 
repeats  this  tender  expression  as  many  as  ten  times. 

166 


Louis  Charles,  Due  de  Nemouks 
Born  at  Paris,  1814 


To  _f  ace  p.  166 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

talk.^  I  hope  you  do  not  forget  to  say  your  prayers 
night  and  morning,  and  to  repeat  the  catechism 
occasionally.  Our  duties  to  God  should  come  first  of 
all,  my  dear  child." 

The  Due  de  Nemours  was  the  one  who  responded 
most  of  all  to  his  mother's  religious  teaching.  After 
his  death  his  biographer,  the  academician,  Rene  Bazin, 
said,  speaking  of  his  noble  life  :  "  To  what  did  he 
owe  his  unflinching  pursuit  of  the  ideal,  his  firmness 
and  dignity  in  all  vicissitudes  ?  To  his  birth  a  little, 
but  chiefly  to  his  faith.  His  royal  blood  gave  him 
the  natural  instinct  to  serve  his  country  ;  the  Catholic 
religion  prevented  his  being  deceived  as  to  the  best 
means  of  serving  her,  or  from  shrinking  from  the 
severity  and  duration  of  the  service  demanded.  The 
Due  de  Nemours  was  a  believer,  and  acted  up  to  his 
belief.  He  loved  the  ancient  liturgy,  the  tradition 
and  ritual  of  his  church.  He  spoke  little  of  his  pro- 
foundest  feelings,  but  he  lived  them,  and  they  consoled 
him  in  the  hour  of  death." 

When  the  Due  de  Nemours  was  thirteen  years 
old,  the  King  made  him  colonel  of  the  First  Regiment 
of  Chasseurs,  henceforth  to  be  known  as  Chasseurs 
de  Nemours.  When  he  was  presented  to  the  regi- 
ment, his  father  and  elder  brother  accompanied  him 
on  horseback,  his  mother  and  sisters  were  present 
in  carriages.  The  young  Duke  had  to  review  his 
regiment,  and  his  grace  in  saluting  and  fine  horse- 
manship were  greatly  admired.  The  regiment  marched 
past,  at  the  trot,  and  then  went  of  to  Neuilly,  where 

^  He  was  very  shy  and  silent  with  every  one  but  his  own  family. 

167 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tents  had  been  pitched  for  their  reception,  and  an 
excellent  repast  was  served.  In  the  evening  a  dinner 
was  given  to  the  officers  in  the  Chateau  de  Neuilly. 
The  Due  de  Nemours  was  too  young  to  command 
his  regiment  at  present,  but  he  took  an  interest  in 
the  soldiers,  and  we  hear  of  a  corporal  in  distress 
coming  to  beg  for  assistance,  when  Nemours  emptied 
his  purse  into  the  man's  hand,  and  regretted  that 
there  was  so  little  in  it,  as  it  was  near  the  end  of  the 
month  ! 

The  birth,  in  1820,  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's 
posthumous  son,  the  Due  de  Bordeaux,  had  been  a 
fatal  blow  to  the  hopes  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  that 
the  throne  of  France  would  ultimately  devolve  upon 
his  own  son ;  but  he  and  his  family  had  to  attend  the 
grand  baptismal  ceremony  of  this  little  heir  to  the 
throne,  and  Marie  Am(3lie  went  with  the  Duchesse 
d'Angouleme  in  her  carriage. 

The  Dowager  Duchesse  d'Orleans  was  too  ill  to 
be  present,  and  died  shortly  after.  She  left  the 
greater  part  of  her  wealth  to  her  son,  but  as  a  mark 
of  affection  for  her  daughter-in-law,  Marie  Am(^lie, 
she  left  her  the  Duchy  of  Aumale  for  life  ;  afterwards 
it  was  to  go  back  to  her  husband  or  sons.  Her 
fourth  son  bore  the  title,  and  inherited  the  estates  sub- 
sequently. The  Due  d'Orleans  also  received  another 
accession  of  fortune  by  the  death  of  his  aunt,  Egalit^'s 
sister,  the  Duchesse  de  Bourbon,  and  was  now  the 
richest  prince  in  Europe. 


168 


Henri,  Due  d'Aumale.      Born  ax  Paris^  1822 


To  face  p.  168 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Death  of  Louis  XVIII. — Accession  of  Charles  X. — Favour  shown 
by  new  King  to  the  Due  d'0rl6ans — The  Happiest  Years  of 
Marie  Am^lie's  Life — Wealth  of  the  d'Orleans  Family — Marie 
Am6lie'8  Journey  to  Savoy  to  Visit  her  Sister  the  Queen  of 
Sardinia — Visit  of  Neapolitan  Royal  Family  to  Paris — Splendid 
F&te  at  the  Palais  Eoyal. 

Some  interesting  accounts  of  the  life  of  the  d'Orleans 
family  are  to  be  found  in  the  Souvenirs  of  the  Prince 
de  Joinmlle} 

Though  only  six  years  old  at  the  time,  he  remem- 
bers going  to  a  Twelfth-Night  party  at  the  Tuileries 
not  long  before  the  death  of  Louis  XVIII.  He  says  : 
"  We  arrived  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Palace  and  were 
saluted  by  the  Swiss  Guard  at  the  Pavilion  de  Mar- 
san  and  by  the  King's  Guard  at  the  Pavilion  de  Flore. 
We  descended  from  our  carriage  under  the  porch  of 
the  stone  staircase  to  the  deafening  rattle  of  the 
drums  of  the  Cents  Suisse.  When  half-way  up  the 
staircase  I  was  immensely  astonished  at  having  to 
stand  aside  to  let  *  La  Viande  du  Roi,'  as  His  Majesty's 
dinner  was  called,  pass.  It  was  carried  up  from  the 
kitchen  to  the  first  floor  escorted  by  his  Bodyguard. 

"  The  King  was  wheeled  into  the  salon  when  the 
party  had  assembled,  and  kissed  each  of  the  d'Orleans 

^  Published  Heinemann,  1905. 
169 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

family,  but  spoke  only  to  Nemours,  who  was  too  shy 
to  do  anything  but  stammer.  The  Twelfth-Night 
customs  were  observed,  I  got  the  bean  from  the  cake 
and  presented  it  to  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  who 
was  thus  Queen  of  the  evening.  The  King,  raising 
his  glass,  cried :  '  The  Queen  drinks,'  and  we  all 
followed  his  example." 

A  few  months  later  Louis  XVIII.  was  no  more. 
His  health  was  failing  throughout  the  year  1824. 
The  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orl^ans  were  present  at  his 
deathbed,  and  in  her  journal  Marie  Amelie  relates 
how  :  "  When  all  was  over  the  Due  de  Blacas  opened 
the  door  of  the  King's  room,  which  adjoined  the 
Gallery  of  Diana  where  a  large  body  of  courtiers 
were  waiting,  and  announced  *  The  King '  as  Comte 
d'Artois,  now  Charles  X.,  entered.  At  these  words 
the  courtiers  rushed  to  surround  and  congratulate  the 
new  King.  It  was  like  a  torrent ;  we  were  borne 
along  in  it,  and  it  was  only  at  the  door  of  the  Throne- 
room  that  my  husband  bethought  himself  that  we 
no  longer  had  aught  to  do  here.  We  went  home 
reflecting  on  the  foibles  of  poor  human  nature  and 
the  nothingness  of  worldly  greatness." 

Louis  XVIII.  died  on  16th  August,  1824.  His 
brother  and  successor,  '*  Monsieur,"  was  crowned  at 
Rheims  on  30th   May,  1825. 

Marie  Amelie  wrote  an  account  of  this  splendid 
ceremony  to  her  son  Nemours.  "  We  have  just  re- 
turned from  the  ceremony  of  the  consecration.  It 
lasted  three  hours.  There  was  some  confusion,  no 
one  knew  what  to  do.     The  entrance  of  the  knights 

170 


v/^'*!'!^ 


■1 


Charles  X  (Comte  d'Akiois) 


To  face  p.  170 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

in  procession  was  very  grand.  Papa  was  superb  and 
looked  like  Louis  XIV.  The  King  also  was  splendid, 
his  air  most  noble.  He  has  appointed  Chartres 
Colonel  of  First  Hussars.  After  the  "  Veni  Creator" 
the  Archbishop  of  Rheims,  Monseigneur  Latil,  ad- 
vanced towards  the  King  and  placed  the  crown  on 
his  head.  The  Princes  then  approached  the  King, 
crying  "  Vivat  Rex  in  aeternum  ".  The  cries  of  "  Vive 
le  roi "  resounded  through  the  ancient  cathedral  for 
quite  a  quarter  of  an  hour."  ^ 

Another  writer  tells  us  that  on  this  occasion  the 
equipages  of  the  d'Orl^ans  family  surpassed  all  others, 
and  their  splendour  was  truly  royal.  The  Due  d'Or- 
leans  wore  his  Ducal  Crown  and  ermine  and  gold 
cloak.  The  Duchesse  d' Orleans  wore  a  richly  em- 
broidered white  dress. 

We  also  hear  of  the  magnificent  appearance  of 
their  sons  as  Peers  of  France  at  the  opening  of  the 
Chambers,  the  eldest  seated  next  to  the  Dauphin  on 
the  King's  right,  and  the  second  next  to  his  father 
on  the  King's  left. 

When  Charles  X.  made  his  State  entrance  into 
Paris  on  the  6th  June,  the  Dues  d'Orl^ans  and  de 
Bourbon  rode  in  front  of  him.  Charles  was  now  an 
elderly  man,  but  still  retained  the  fine  bearing  and 
chivalrous  manners  which  had  won  all  hearts  in  his 
youthful  days.  Since  the  death  of  his  mistress,  Mme. 
de  Polastron,  which  occurred  while  he  was  in  exile 

^  After  the  coronation  service  the  King  went  to  the  Hospital  of 
Marcoul  and  touched  200  scrofulous  patients.  Making  a  cross  on 
each  brow  he  said :  "  May  God  heal  thee.    The  King  touches  thee  ". 

171 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAEIE  AMELIE 

in  England,  his  character  had  completely  changed  ;  he 
had  abandoned  altogether  the  libertine  habits  of  his 
youth,  and  earnestly  endeavoured  to  follow  out  her 
deathbed  injunction  to  *'  live  only  for  God  ".^ 

Mme.  de  Polastron  has  been  called  the  La  Valli^re 
of  the  Kestoration.  She  had  a  husband,  Comte 
d'Artois  a  wife ;  setting  aside  that  fact,  their  union 
was  all  that  was  idyllic.  From  the  moment  of  his 
connection  with  her,  his  volatile  nature  seemed  com- 
pletely changed ;  he  thought  of  no  other  woman, 
and  her  affection  was  absolutely  disinterested.  She 
sought  neither  for  money  nor  eclat.  Through  long 
years  of  poverty  and  exile  their  mutual  affection  was 
unsullied,  and  ended  only  with  her  death.  He  was 
ever  faithful  to  her  memory,  and  the  permanent 
change  this  accomplished  in  a  man  of  his  antecedents 
and  nature,  was  nothing  short  of  a  miracle.  Leopold, 
King  of  the  Belgians,  no  mean  judge  of  character, 
gives  his  opinion  of  Charles  X.  in  a  letter  to  Queen 
Victoria,  saying :  "  He  was  an  honest  man,  a  kind 
friend  and  honourable  master,  sincere  in  his  opinions, 
anxious  to  do  everything  that  was  right ". 

With  all  his  fine  qualities  he  had  not  much  in- 
tellectual ability  or  political  sagacity,  and  his  changed 
views  of  life  led  him  to  put  himself  too  much  in  the 
hands  of  ecclesiastics,  who  abused  their  influence  over 
him,  in  order  to  increase  the  power  of  the  Church. 

Ten  years  of  peace  had  brought  the  internal  pro- 

^Her  last  words  were  :  "  Une  grace,  Monsieur,  Soyez  k  Dieu, 
tout  k  Dieu."  "Je  le  jure,"  replied  Comte  d'Artois,  falling  on  his 
knees  at  her  bedside. 

172 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

sperity  of  France  to  a  high  pitch,  and  the  prospects 
of  the  new  reign  opened  well.  The  accession  of 
Charles  X.  greatly  improved  the  position  of  the  Due 
d' Orleans.^  Shortly  after  his  accession  the  King  sent 
for  the  Duke,  and  told  him  that  he  accorded  to  him 
and  all  his  family  the  title  of  Royal  Highness,  which 
Louis  XVIIL  had  only  allowed  to  Marie  Amelie, 
and  this  had  been  a  very  sore  point  in  the  d'Orleans 
family. 

At  this  interview  Charles  X.  said  :  "  I  am  an  old 
man,  and  speak  as  a  father  to  you.  There  is  nothing 
between  you  and  the  throne,  but  the  life  of  a  child 
of  four  years  old  (Due  de  Bordeaux).  A  child  of 
that  age  is  not  much,  and  it  is  necessary  that  there 
should  be  no  difficulty  about  you  or  your  son  suc- 
ceeding in  the  event  of  the  child's  death.  Your 
position  is  a  delicate  one.  You  know  I  like  you,  and 
I  believe  that  you  are  as  loyal  and  faithful  as  it  is 
possible  to  be,  but  people  say  all  sorts  of  things  about 
you,  so  I  wish  you  to  be  on  your  guard." 

The  Due  d'Orleans  thanked  the  King  very  warmly 
for  all  his  goodness,  and  said :  "I  only  ask  one 
favour :  if  unfavourable  reports  reach  your  Majesty's 
ears,  summon  me  at  once  and  give  me  the  opportunity 
of  explaining  matters,  which  I  should  quickly  be  able 
to  do,  for  I  have  no  ambition.  I  am  thoroughly 
satisfied  with  my  position  and  my  life,  and  I  desire 

^  One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  reign  was  the  passing  of  the  Act 
of  Indemnity,  for  old  proprietors  who  had  been  despoiled  in  the 
Eevolution.  The  Due  d'Orleans  and  his  sister  received  an  addition 
of  seventeen  millions  of  francs  to  their  fortune. 

173 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

only  to  see  the  throne  assured  to  your  Majesty's  line 
by  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  France." 

"I  am  convinced  of  it,"  replied  the  King,  "and 
I  shall  do  as  you  have  asked  me,  and  you  on  your 
side,  if  you  have  anything  to  complain  of,  come 
straight  to  me,  let  no  one  come  between  us ;  it  is  as 
important  for  you  as  for  us  to  be  united." 

The  years  from  this  time,  up  to  1830,  were  the 
most  peaceful  and  happiest  of  Marie  Amelie's  life. 
Her  domestic  happiness  was  complete,  she  had  all 
the  comforts  and  pleasures  that  wealth  gives,  and  an 
assured  and  illustrious  position.  Her  husband  had 
great  influence  and  an  immense  number  of  friends. 
He  occupied  himself  with  building  and  improving  his 
estates,  and  with  many  works  of  benevolence  for  the 
public  benefit,  as  well  as  with  the  education  of  his 
sons. 

Marie  Amelie  had  now  only  two  brothers  and  one 
sister,  Marie  Christine,  Queen  of  Sardinia,  living. 

All  the  rest  of  the  eighteen  children  of  the  Queen 
of  Naples  had  passed  away. 

These  two  surviving  sisters  had  not  met  for 
fifteen  years,  but  in  1825  Marie  Amelie  had  the  great 
pleasure  of  going  with  her  husband  and  three  eldest 
children  to  visit  the  King  and  Queen  of  Sardinia,  at 
their  beautiful  old  castle  at  Chambery,  the  cradle  of 
the  House  of  Savoy.  Superbly  situated,  with  a  mag- 
nificent panorama  of  the  Alps  to  be  viewed  from  its 
windows,  or  the  pleasant  terraces  shaded  by  spreading 
trees,  this  picturesque  old  castle  existed  in  the  tenth 
century.     The  Due  d'Orleans  would  have  called  to 

174 


I 


"TOTO" 
AnTOINE,    Due   DE    MONTPENSIER,    YoUNGEST   SON   OF   MaKIE   AmELIE 

BoKN  AT  Neuilly,  1827 

To  face  p.  174 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

mind  that  it  had  been  the  home  of  two  d'Orleans 
princesses.  The  first  was  Fran9oise,  daughter  of 
Gaston  d'Orleans,  uncle  of  Louis  XIV.,  who  married 
Duke  Charles  Emmanuel  11.  of  Savoy ;  and  the 
other  was  Anne  d'Orleans,  daughter  of  Louis  XIV. 's 
brother,  Philippe  due  d'Orleans,  by  Henrietta  Stuart. 
This  much  beloved  Princess,  Anne  d'Orleans,  was 
married  in  the  old  chapel  at  Chambery,  to  Victor 
Amadeus  II.  of  Savoy,  of  whom  Louis  XIV.,  when 
recommending  him  to  his  niece,  said  that  he  was  not 
only  a  great  prince,  but  was  a  gentleman  as  well ! 

This  Duke  and  Duchess  became  also  the  first 
King  and  Queen  of  Sardinia,  which  dominion  was 
given  to  the  Duke  of  Savoy  by  the  Allies  as  a  reward 
for  his  services  during  the  wars  of  the  Spanish  Suc- 
cession. 

Sicily  had  been  first  allotted  to  him,  but  the  dis- 
tance from  his  hereditary  domains  was  too  great  ta 
allow  of  his  governing  both  properly,  so  he  obtained 
permission  to  exchange  Sicily  for  Sardinia,  which  ever 
after  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  House  of 
Savoy  with  the  regal  title. 

The  whole  country  round  is  rich  in  memories  of 
the  ancestral  heroes  of  the  House  of  Savoy.  The  most 
interesting  of  all,  Haut  Combe,  would  have  been  visited 
often  by  the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'0rl6ans,  for  the 
King  of  Sardinia  was  much  occupied  with  his  plans  for 
restoring  some  of  its  former  splendour.  The  abbey  and 
chapel  had  been  built  in  the  twelfth  century  by  St. 
Bernard,  and  had  been  the  burial  place  of  the  Duke& 
of  Savoy.     Situated  amidst  splendid  scenery,  below 

175 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

the  Dent  du  Chat  and  on  a  rock  above  the  Lac  du 
Bourget,  it  had  been  a  stately  pile  filled  with  treasures 
of  great  value.  After  the  death  of  Louis  XVI.  the 
armies  of  the  French  Convention  had  ravaged  it, 
desecrated  the  royal  tombs,  broke  up  the  marble 
statues,  the  carvings,  stained  glass  and  works  of  art 
in  the  chapel,  and  burnt  the  valuable  manuscripts  in 
the  library.  Marie  Araelie's  brother-in-law,  Charles 
Felix,  King  of  Sardinia,  wished  to  restore  Haut  Combe 
to  as  much  as  possible  of  its  former  splendour,  and 
was  occupied  in  repairing  the  building  and  beautifying 
the  interior.  In  all  this  work  he  would  probably 
have  found  a  valuable  adviser  in  the  Due  d'Orleans, 
who  was  well  versed  in  history  and  architecture  and 
loved  building.  At  the  present  day  the  chapel  con- 
tains seventeen  monuments,  reproductions  of  the 
original  ones,  and  a  profusion  of  ornamentation  and 
relics,  as  well  as  tombs  of  Carlo  Felice  and  his  wife 
Marie  Christine  of  Naples,  side  by  side,  near  the  altar. 

We  can  imagine  all  the  long  talks,  the  questions 
and  answers  as  to  family  matters  and  all  that  had 
taken  place  in  the  years  of  their  separation,  that  were 
enjoyed  by  Marie  Amelie  and  her  sister,  while  the 
two  husbands  were  engaged  in  planning  and  super- 
intending the  works  at  Haut  Combe. 

After  their  return  to  Paris  the  d'Orleans  family 
seem  to  have  lived  a  happy  family  life  at  the  Palais 
Koyal  and  at  Neuilly.  The  newspapers  of  the  day 
give  details  of  the  splendid  f^es<  given  at  the  Palais 
Royal,  and  also  of  those  given  by  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry.     At  a  children's  ball  given  by  the  latter  at  the 

176 


Pbikcesse  Clemej^tine  d'Orleajsts,  Mdlle.   de  Beaujolais 

Porn  at  Neuilly,  1817 

To  face\j).  17( 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

« 

Tuileries,  Marie  Amelie's  youngest  daughter,  the 
Princess  Clementine,  appeared  as  a  great  lady  of  the 
Court  of  Louis  XV.  The  King  was  enchanted  and 
said  :  **  I  was  reminded  of  the  good  old  times  when 
I  saw  Mile,  de  Beaujolais  (Clementine)  dancing  a 
minuet  in  such  a  dignified  manner,  it  was  as  if  my 
wife  had  come  to  life  again  ". 

The  two  elder  d'Orleans  princesses  were  also  much 
admired  wherever  they  appeared — the  one  for  her 
sweet  looks  and  the  other  for  her  vivacity  and  the  zest 
with  which  she  entered  into  all  amusements.  The 
Due  de  Chartres  also  had  a  great  success  in  society ; 
he  was  very  handsome  and  waltzed  to  perfection,  but 
was  most  dignified  in  manner. 

His  brother  Joinville  says  of  him :  "  He  was  a 
charmer — charmer  of  soldiers,  of  artists,  of  women  ". 

The  Paris  journals  speak  of  his  splendid  appear- 
ance at  a  fancy  ball  in  the  costume  of  Francis  II, , 
while  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  as  Mary  Stuart  was  "  a 
sight".  On  this  occasion  the  two  eldest  d'Orleans 
princesses  appeared  as  *'  Tartaresses  "  and  were  loaded 
with  diamonds  and  jewels. 

For  a  few  years  the  relations  between  the  Court 
and  the  Palais  Royal  were  most  cordial,  a  sense  of 
security  prevailed,  and  all  enjoyed  at  their  ease  the 
good  days  that  seemed  to  have  dawned  for  France. 

In  May,  1830,  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's  father,  the 
King  of  Sicily,  Marie  Amelie's  brother,  came  to  Paris 
with  his  second  wife  who  was  a  Spanish  Princess,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry's  step-mother. 

Apparently  the  Sicilian  royalties   were   not  pre- 

177  12 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

possessing,  Cuvillier  Fleiiry  says  :  "  The  Queen  was 
very  ugly  and  made  a  grimace  when  we  were  pre- 
sented. The  King  is  like  a  white  bear,  his  face 
covered  with  a  forest  of  white  hair  ;  though  only  fifty 
he  looks  seventy." 

However,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  was  delighted 
to  meet  them  again,  and  naturally  wished  to  show 
due  honour  to  her  brother  and  his  wife,  and  to  receive 
them  with  all  possible  splendour  in  her  own  Palace  ; 
and  she  and  they  must  have  been  sensible  of  the 
contrast  between  her  present  fine  position  and  that 
she  had  been  in  when  they  parted,  when  she  had 
been  living  with  her  husband  in  a  precarious  position, 
subsisting  on  her  father's  bounty. 

As  the  King  and  Queen  were  the  guests  of 
Charles  X.,  etiquette  made  it  impossible  for  them 
to  attend  any  function  unless  he  accompanied  them. 
But  the  Due  d'Orleans  now  was  out  of  favour  with 
the  King ;  political  troubles  were  looming  in  the  near 
distance,  and  in  spite  of  his  desire  to  think  well  of 
his  cousin,  Charles  X.  had  reason  to  think  that  the 
Duke,  and  especially  his  sister,  sided  with,  nay,  even 
aided  and  abetted  malcontents. 

One  day  he  even  said  to  Marie  Amelie  and 
Adelaide  d'Orleans,  in  a  tone  of  great  bitterness  and 
with  an  air  of  severity :  "  Nothing  is  easier  than  to 
oppose  my  Government ;  what  is  not  so  easy  is  to 
justify  such  opposition  ". 

He  was  not  disposed  to  do  his  cousins  the 
"  immense  favour  "  of  accompanying  his  royal  guests 
to  the  Palais  Royal.    The  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  had 

178 


■v',S-  • 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

great  difficulty  in  persuading  him,  and  was  obliged 
to  urge  her  own  and  his  near  relationship  to  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans  :  "  The  dear  Duchess  is  so  good, 
so  excellent,  and  is  of  our  race  and  our  blood  ".  At 
last  the  King  consented,  and  fixed  13th  May  for  the 
entertainment. 

The  arrangements  made  at  the  Palais  Royal  were 
on  a  scale  of  great  magnificence,  but  also  in  the  best 
taste.  The  decorations,  the  illuminations,  the  bril- 
liance of  the  ladies'  jewels  and  the  richness  of  their 
toilettes  and  of  the  officers'  uniforms,  made  the 
splendid  apartments,  ornamented  with  fine  pictures, 
works  of  art,  and  hung  with  costly  tapestries,  like  a 
scene  in  fairyland. 

Charles  X.  and  the  Neapolitan  royalties  arrived 
at  eleven  o'clock,  preceded  by  outriders,  heralded 
by  the  beating  of  drums  and  escorted  by  the  mag- 
nificent Bodyguard. 

First  there  was  a  sj^lendid  concert,  arranged  by 
Mdme.  Adelaide,  then  a  ball.^  The  King  was  so 
fascinated  by  the  grace  and  distinction  of  Princess 
Clementine,  that  he  forgot  his  ill  humour,  and  said 
to  the  Due  d'Orleans  :  ''  Were  I  thirty  years  younger, 
your  daughter  should  be  Queen  of  France  ". 

It  was  a  very  warm  night,  and  the  ladies  in 
decolletee  dresses  walked  in  the  gardens  without 
shawls.  The  Prince  de  Joinville  wrote:  ''While  the 
King  was  taking  the  air  on  the  terrace,  I  preceded 
him  to  clear  the  way.     I  admired  his  upright  figure 

^Salvandy  said:  "It  i8  a  truly  Neapolitan  fete.  We  are 
dancing  on  a  volcano  ". 

179 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  truly  royal  air,  as  he  approached  the  parapet  and 
saluted  the  crowd.     There  was  no  response." 

This  was  the  last  time  a  King  of  France  ever  visited 
a  Due  d'Orleans  in  his  house.  The  knell  of  the 
Legitimate  Monarchy  had  already  sounded  ;  Paris 
was  on  the  eve  of  another  Revolution. 


180 


CHAPTER  X. 

Character  of  Adelaide  d'0rl6ans,  Sister  of  Louis  Philippe — The 
Important  Part  she  played  in  the  Eevolution  of  1830,  and 
the  July  Monarchy — Abdication  of  Charles  X. — Character  of 
Louis  Philippe — Opinion  of  Europe — He  is  declared  King  of 
the  French. 

With  all  his  good  qualities,  Charles  X.  was  quite 
without  the  political  sagacity  and  powers  of  adapta- 
tion, which  had  enabled  his  brother,  Louis  XVIII., 
to  maintain  himself  till  death,  on  the  unstable  throne 
of  France.  He,  Louis  XVIII.,  was  aware  of  his 
brother's  limitations,  and  often  said,  when  looking 
at  the  little  Due  de  Bordeaux :  "  Who  knows  if 
my  brother  will  succeed  in  keeping  the  crown  for 
this  child  ". 

France  was  tired  of  revolutions  and  willing  to 
stand  a  good  deal  to  avoid  another.  Had  Charles 
X.  been  true  to  the  Charter,^  he  would  have  been 
secure  on  his  throne ;  but  influenced  by  friends  of 
the  old  regime,  and  above  all  by  his  religious  advis- 
ers, he  took  one  step  after  another  that  aroused  the 
populace  to  fear  for  their  liberties. 

Charles  X.  did  not  understand  that  great  changes 
had  taken  place  in  the  social  system  of  France ;  he 

^  Charter  of  the  Eights  of  the  People,  promulgated  and  adhered 
to  by  Louis  XVIII.  on  his  accession. 

181 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

ignored  the  rise  to  power  of  the  middle  classes,  and 
also  the  fact  that  though  the  French  people  as  a 
whole  were  attached  to  religion,  they  were  not  to 
its  ministers.  He  had  misunderstood  the  history  of 
his  country,  and  thought  it  would  be  for  his  own 
glory  and  the  benefit  of  his  people  to  re-establish 
absolute  monarchy  and  the  old  regime.  To  have 
the  Catholic  religion  recognised  as  the  established 
religion  of  the  State,  seemed  to  him  his  first  duty. 
Great  discontent  had  been  caused  by  a  priest  being 
attached  to  each  regiment,  and  the  regulation  that  every 
soldier,  Catholic  or  non-Catholic,  must  attend  Mass. 

After  the  opening  of  the  Assembly,  March,  1830, 
when  the  King  in  his  address  spoke  of  "his  rights, 
of  perfidy  and  culpable  measures,"  the  Assembly 
replied  :  "That  agreement  between  the  political  views 
of  the  King's  Government  and  the  wishes  of  his 
people  did  not  exist ". 

Things  went  from  bad  to  worse,  and  in  July, 
1830,  the  three  fatal  Ordinances  were  promulgated. 

The  first  dissolved  the  newly  elected  Parliament. 

The  second  re-established  the  Censorship  of  the 
Press. 

The  third  abrogated  the  existing  electoral  law, 
replacing  it  by  a  method  of  election  that  made  re- 
presentative government  an  illusion. 

The  Moniteur  of  26th  July,  1830,  which  made 
these  Ordinances  known  to  the  public,  reached  Neuilly 
in  due  course.  When  he  read  the  paper  the  Due 
d'Orleans  exclaimed  :  "  They  are  mad  "  ! '  "  They  are 
mad,"   he   repeated   several    times.     "They  will   get 

182 


■:^ 


Madame  Adelaide^  Sister  of  Louis  Philippe 


To  face  p.  182 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

themselves  exiled  again !  As  for  myself  I  have  been 
exiled  twice  and  have  had  enough  of  it !  I  shall  stay 
in  France." 

It  would  be  impossible  to  understand  the  sub- 
sequent course  of  events  and  the  part  played  by  the 
Due  d'Orleans  without  some  account  of  his  sister, 
Mdme.  Adelaide,  and  the  preponderating  influence  she 
exercised  over  her  brother,  and  in  the  family  councils. 

Educated  in  liberal  ideas  by  Mme.  de  Genlis, 
Adelaide  d'Orleans  had  made  them  her  own.  Long 
years  of  exile  in  a  convent  at  Bremgarten,  and  after- 
wards with  her  aunt  Mme.  de  Conti  in  Bavaria  and 
Hungary,  had  separated  her  from  family  life.  She 
knew  little  of  her  mother,  and  was  subsequently 
altogether  estranged  from  her,  on  account  of  the 
latter's  subjugation  by  her  chancellor,  M.  de  Folmont. 
After  their  return  to  France  she  concentrated  all  her 
affection  on  her  brother  and  his  family. 

Her  niece,  the  Queen  of  the  Belgians,  in  a  letter  to 
Queen  Victoria,  says :  "  My  good,  excellent,  beloved 
aunt  lived  only  for  her  brother.  Her  devotion  was 
absolute,  and  utterly  unselfish.  A  heart  so  true,  so 
noble,  so  loving  is  seldom  found.  She  was  a  second 
mother  to  us,  indeed  few  mothers  do  for  their  children 
all  she  did  for  us  or  love  them  better,  and  we  in  re- 
turn loved  and  looked  up  to  her." 

Mme.  de  Boigne  says  :  "  In  Madame  -  Adelaide  I 
always  admired  her  extreme  goodness  of  heart  and 

^  Eeferring  to  the  King  and  his  advisers. 

^  After  Charles  X.  had  made  her  brother  Royal  Highness  she 
was  always  addressed  as  "  Madame  ". 

183 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

great  intellectual  powers.  Her  good  qualities  were 
her  own,  her  defects  due  to  circumstances  in  which 
she  was  placed  in  youth." 

She  was  frank  and  sincere,  and  with  her  the  inside 
was  worth  more  than  the  surface. 

Exclusive  in  her  affections,  she  was  a  firm  friend 
but  a  bitter  enemy. 

Her  charities,  however,  left  out  no  one. 

She  gave  away  one-sixth  of  her  income  in  pensions 
to  poor  artists  and  men  of  letters,  to  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  combatants  in  the  July  Revolution,  and  in 
subscriptions  to  schools  and  hospitals,  for  the  families 
of  shipwrecked  mariners,  or  artisans  out  of  work,  for 
cholera  patients  ;  pensions  also  to  faithful  servants  of 
the  House  of  Orleans,  and  rendered  assistance  even 
to  poor  Jews. 

Her  wealth  and  liberality  gave  her  much  influence, 
and  she  lived  only  for  the  aggrandisement  of  her 
brother  and  his  family. 

Her  father,  Philippe  Egalite  had  been  kindness 
itself  to  her.  She  was  too  young  to  judge  the  facts 
and  would  not  acknowledge  that  his  path  had  been 
one  of  crime.  In  her  days  of  exile  and  among  the 
emigres  who  formed  her  aunt,  Mme.  de  Conti's  Court, 
she  found  herself  everywhere  looked  upon  coldly  on 
account  of  the  name  she  bore,  so  she  was  driven  in 
upon  herself  and  raised  a  rampart  of  reserve  in  self- 
defence.  Her  mother's  household  being  unendurable, 
she  left  it  and  joined  her  brother,  and  having  no  one 
else  on  whom  to  lavish  her  capacity  for  affection,  she 
gave  her  heart  wholly  to  him. 

184 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

He  returned  her  affection,  fell  much  under  her 
influence,  consulted  her  on  all  points,  and  having 
great  respect  for  her  powers  of  mind,  deferred  to  her 
opinions. 

Their  father's  life  and  death  was  a  bond  of  inti- 
macy between  them. 

Though  both  were  generally  the  easiest  of  com- 
panions, upon  this  point  they  were  irritable,  even  to 
rancour.  After  the  Restoration  neither  of  them  was 
ever  at  ease  with  Louis  XVIIL,  and  least  of  all  with 
the  Duchesse  dAngouleme,  daughter  of  Louis  XVI., 
for  whose  death  their  father  had  voted. ^ 

Madame  Adelaide  indeed  frankly  detested  the  royal 
family.  She  may  have  remembered  that  in  her  youth 
she  had  been  taught  to  look  on  the  Due  d'Angouleme 
as  her  future  husband,  but  the  match  fell  through  on 
account  of  the  determined  opposition  of  Marie  An- 
toinette. Again  in  later  life  there  had  been  an  idea  of 
marrying  her  to  the  Due  de  Berry,  which  also  col- 
lapsed.^ 

Besides  all  this  she  was  thoroughly  at  variance 
with  the  policy  and  opinions  of  the  elder  branch  of  the 
Bourbons  ;  she  despised  their  narrowness  and  bigotry, 
"  they  had  learned  nothing,  and  forgotten  nothing ". 
She  herself  was  genuinely  liberal  and  modern  in 
her  ideas,  and  she  thought  a  constitutional  Monarchy 
and  representative  Government  was  really  what  was 
needed  for  the  welfare  of  France,  and  she  loved  her 
country  only  less  than  her  brother.     For  him  she  was 

^  Memoirs  of  Mme.  de  Boigne. 

2  Mme.  Koyale  refused  to  admit  her  into  the  family  as  a  sister. 

185 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

always  ambitious.  If  he  was  not  of  the  Orleanist  fac- 
tion, Mdme.  Adelaide  certainly  was;  in  and  out  of 
season  she  never  lost  sight  of  the  ruling  desire  of  her 
life,  i.e.,  to  see  her  brother  on  the  throne  of  France. 
Her  wealth  gave  her  great  influence.  She  spent  it 
generously,  patronised  artists  and  literary  men,  and 
employed  much  labour  on  her  estates,  especially  at 
Kandau,  which  was  her  favourite  residence ;  a  whole 
countryside  benefited  by  her  benevolence  and  adored 
her,  calling  her  "  the  good  Mademoiselle  ". 

Her  position  should  have  been  secondary,  but  her 
abilities  always  forced  her  to  the  front.  No  one  had  a 
better  head  for  business.  She  could  discern  instantly 
the  critical  point  in  a  difficulty  and  sweep  away  all 
side  issues  ;  she  refused  to  be  led  astray,  and  pinned 
the  interlocutor  down  to  the  point  at  stake.  She  was 
statesmanlike  in  all  her  views,  and  she  gathered  around 
her  in  her  apartments  at  the  Palais  Koyal  all  who  she 
thought  might  serve  her  purpose. 

Talleyrand  was  her  intimate  friend  and  counsellor  ; 
all  the  Opposition  deputies  frequented  her  salon,  and 
openly  criticised  the  Government  and  were  under  her 
influence ;  by  her  money  she  supported  all  liberal  in- 
stitutions and  newspapers,  and  welcomed  all  politicians 
of  the  popular  party,  who  were  dissatisfied  with  the 
Government.  Mdme.  Adelaide  had  one  quality  which 
her  brother  lacked,  i.e.,  decision  of  character.  She 
knew  what  she  aimed  at,  and  stuck  at  nothing  to 
obtain  it. 

Louis  Philippe  protested  loyalty  to  the  King,  but 
he   smiled   with    significance    and   sympathy   at   the 

186 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Opposition.  With  all  his  distinguished  abilities  he 
had  that  indecision  of  character  which  led  him  to 
listen  to  his  sister  against  his  own  better  judgment, 
and  finally  brought  about  his  downfall.  Lamartine 
sums  up  his  character  as  follows :  "  Although  a 
Prince  of  the  Blood,  he  was  a  Revolutionary  by  in- 
heritance. Nature  had  made  him  honest  and  mod- 
erate, exile  and  experience  made  him  prudent.  The 
difficulties  of  his  position  as  a  democrat  among 
princes,  and  a  prince  among  democrats,  made  him 
bow  to  circumstances,  and  temporise  with  fortune. 
He  seemed  to  foresee  that  a  throne  was  his  destiny. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  led  an  irreproachable  life  of 
domestic  happiness.  He  certainly,  though  sympa- 
thetic with  the  Opposition,  was  guilty  of  no  criminal 
complicity.  He  was  studious  and  reflective,  pro- 
foundly versed  in  history,  a  thorough  diplomat,  a 
fluent  orator,  a  model  husband  and  father,  kind, 
humane,  peaceably  inclined  ;  born  brave,  but  having 
a  horror  of  blood,  he  was  endowed  with  all  the 
qualities  that  make  a  King  beloved  and  popular, 
except  one,  i.e.,  greatness.  This  he  replaced  by  the 
secondary  quality  of  cleverness."  There  were  three 
parties  in  France ;  the  Republican,  which  had  no 
capable  leader  ;  the  Legitimists,  who  adored  the  elder 
branch  of  the  Bourbons  and  detested  the  younger 
branch,  as  the  incarnation  of  Divine  right ;  finally,  the 
Liberal  Constitutional  party,  which  was  composed  of 
an  immense  majority  of  the  nation. 

This  party  saw  in  the  Due  d'Orl^ans  a  medium 
between  Royalty  and  a  Republic,  the  last  hope  of  the 

187 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Monarchy.  Mdme.  Adelaide  understood  the  position  ; 
she  had  made  up  her  mind,  and  after  the  news  of 
the  popular  tumult  that  followed  the  publishing  of 
the  Ordinances,  she  urged  her  brother  to  go  and 
place  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Opposition.  She 
knew  that  what  had  to  be  done  was  to  persuade  her 
brother  to  take  a  definite  step,  and  to  use  her  in- 
fluence to  outweigh  the  scruples  and  objections  of 
Marie  Amelie,  truly  attached  to  the  royal  family. 

The  quiet,  regular  family  life  at  Neuilly  was 
suddenly  broken  up,  the  salon  became  the  resort  of 
politicians  from  Paris.  The  Duchesse  d'Orl^ans  was 
sad  and  dejected,  spoke  little,  but  prayed  much.  The 
days  passed  in  anxiety  and  uncertainty  ;  contradictory 
rumours  kept  coming  in.  At  last  on  the  third  day 
booming  of  cannon  and  the  tocsin,  sounding  from 
Notre  Dame,  reached  Neuilly. 

Every  one  abused  Mgr.  Que'len,  who  had  in- 
fluenced the  King  to  sign  the  Ordinances.  Next  day 
news  came  that  troops  had  fraternised  with  insur- 
gents, and  that  the  mob  occupied  the  Louvre  and 
Tuileries.  Rumours  came  that  the  Royalists  were 
going  to  seize  the  Due  d'0rl6ans,  so  he  went  off*  to 
Raincy.  The  Princes  and  Princesses  were  sent  away 
to  Villiers  Coterets. 

Mdme.  Adelaide  and  the  Duchesse  remained  at 
Neuilly  to  send  news  to  the  Due  d'Orleans.  In  the 
course  of  the  day  Thiers  and  others  arrived,  and  told 
Marie  Amelie  that  their  party  wished  the  Due  d'Or- 
leans to  assume  the  reins  of  Government.  She  was 
greatly  agitated,  and  said  :  "  But  my  husband  is  an 

188 


THE  L IFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

honest  man  !  He  will  do  nothing  against  the  King  !  " 
and  turning  to  M.  Sheffer,  one  of  the  deputation,  who 
was  an  habitue  of  the  Palais  Royal,  she  said  :  "  How 
could  vou  undertake  such  a  mission  ?  I  can  under- 
stand  that  M.  Thiers  should  venture  to  do  so,  because 
he  does  not  know  us  well,  but  you  do,  and  that  i/ou 
should  think  us  capable  of  it !  We  can  never  forgive 
you !  Our  gratitude  to  the  King,  who  delivered  us 
from  poverty  and  restored  our  estates,  and  has  shown 
us  every  possible  favour,  would  prevent  my  husband 
entertaining  such  an  idea." 

Mdme.  Adelaide,  however,  had  no  scruples,  and 
said  :  "  My  brother  loves  his  country,  and  I  think 
he  will  do  anything  in  his  power  to  deliver  it  from 
anarchy.  Let  them  make  him  a  president,  anything 
but  an  exile." 

Thiers  turned  to  her  and  said  :  "  Madame,  you 
have  given  the  crown  to  your  family". 

All  writers  agree  that  without  the  influence  of  his 
sister,  Louis  Philippe  would  never  have  made  up  his 
mind  to  accept  the  crown.  ^ 

After  Thiers  had  gone,  many  other  visitors  came 
to  Neuilly,  bent  on  the  same  errand ;  to  all  the 
Duchesse  d'OrMans,  who  seemed  in  the  depth  of 
woe,  returned  the  same  reply :  "  My  husband  cannot 
do  it.  He  is  an  honourable  man.^  He  will  be  faith- 
ful to  his  oath  ".  But  Mdme.  Adelaide  said  :  "  Let 
the   Chamber   of   Deputies   speak   out ;   then  if   my 

1  It  was  remarked  that  at  the  sitting  of  the  Chamber  his  de- 
meanour was  most  undecided. 

2  "  Honnete  homme." 

189 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

brother  hesitates,  /  shall  go  to  Paris,  and  promise  in 
his  name  to  the  people  on  the  Place  du  Palais  Royal ." 

Next  evening  the  result  of  the  sitting  of  the 
Chamber  was  known.  The  Due  d'Orleans  was  sum- 
moned to  Paris,  and  next  morning  his  proclamation  as 
Lieutenant-general  was  on  all  the  walls  of  the  city. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  always  been  popular ; 
when  the  dynasty  was  attacked  in  the  papers  she  was 
always  spared.  The  royal  children  were  charming, 
and  their  mother  was  justly  proud  of  them ;  she 
thought  she  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  appear  with  a 
child  on  each  side  to  appease  any  insurrection. 

Not  long  before  these  troubled  times,  on  hearing 
that  the  d'Orldans  family  were  going  to  Eu,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  thought  it  might  be  agreeable  to 
them  to  stay  at  her  house  in  Dieppe  for  a  few  days. 
She  could  not  go  herself,  but  it  was  decided  that  her 
little  daughter.  Mile.  d'Artois,  was  to  do  the  hon- 
ours. The  child  was  delighted,  and  made  out  her 
programme  :  "  Reception  by  Mayor  with  an  address, 
young  girls  dressed  in  white  to  present  baskets  of 
flowers  to  the  d'Orleans  ladies,  gala  dinner  and  fete 
champetre  ".  She  was  disconcerted  to  find  there  was  not 
enough  plate,  linen  and  china  at  her  mother  s  house  to 
enable  her  to  carry  out  her  plans,  so  she  consulted  the 
King.  He  approved  of  her  programme  and  gave  orders 
for  the  necessary  supplies  to  be  sent.  Mile.  dArtois 
then  wrote  her  invitation  and  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans 
replied  :  "  Never  forget,  Louis,  that  your  aunt  can 
never  refuse  you  anything  you  may  ask.  Expect  me, 
and  your  cousins,  at  Dieppe  very  shortly." 

190 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  remembrance  of  this  letter  must  have  come 
back  to  both  parties,  when  shortly  afterwards  the 
affection  of  Marie  Amelie  was  put  to  the  test. 

Charles  X.  would  not  believe  in  a  revolt.  In 
vain  the  Duchesse  de  Goutaut  ^  begged  him  to  ascend 
the  tower  at  St.  Cloud  and  look  through  a  telescope, 
when  he  would  have  seen  into  the  Rue  de  Rivoli,  where 
men  and  women  were  throwing  pianos,  furniture  and  all 
kinds  of  projectiles  on  the  heads  of  the  soldiers  below. 

Although  the  sound  of  the  tocsin  and  of  cannon- 
ading reached  St.  Cloud,  Charles  X.  thought  it  be- 
hoved his  dignity  to  remain  calm  and  unmoved,  so 
nothing  was  changed  of  the  usual  routine,  and  he 
played  whist  as  usual  at  night. 

Next  morning  the  commandant  of  the  Cents 
Suisses  told  the  King  it  was  impossible  to  maintain 
the  Polignac  Ministry  ;  he  replied  :  "  You  are  young 
and  I  am  experienced  ".  He  forbade  the  Due  d'An- 
gouleme  to  go  to  Paris  and  use  force  to  quell  the  in- 
surrection ;  and  the  Duke,  usually  so  calm,  was  almost 
mad  with  exasperation  at  enforced  inaction,  and  what 
he  considered  the  degradation  of  the  Crown. 

At  last  the  King  was  made  to  see  that  his  life  was 
in  danger  and  agreed  to  retire  to  Rambouillet.  The 
Duchesse  de  Berry  wore  her  riding  habit  when  they 
left  St.  Cloud,  and  two  revolvers  in  her  belt,  with 
which,  as  she  said,  to  defend  the  lives  of  her  children 
if  necessary. 

On  the  way  Charles  X.  stopped  at  Trianon.  What 
memories  of  past  days  must  have  come  to  him,  of  the 

^  Governess  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's  children. 

191 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

days  when  it  was  Marie  Antoinette's  pleasure  house, 
and  of  the  many  festivities  in  which  he  had  taken  part 
there  when  he  was  young  and  careless. 

When  the  royal  party  arrived  at  E-ambouillet  they 
were  not  expected.  Mme.  de  Goutaut  ransacked 
kitchen  and  pantries,  hoping  to  find  something  for  her 
hungry  young  charges,  but  nothing  was  to  be  found 
but  a  crust  of  bread,  which  she  gave  to  Mile.  d'Artois, 
who  broke  it  in  half  and  said  to  her  governess  :  "  Take 
half — even  if  it  is  my  last  crust  I  must  share  it  with 
you  ". 

Next  day  the  King  was  told  that  the  mob  of  Paris 
were  marching  on  Rambouillet.  There  were  only 
15,000  of  them,  and  they  were  without  arms — a 
motley  crew,  some  on  foot,  some  in  cabs  and  omni- 
buses. The  King's  forces  at  Rambouillet  amounted 
to  8,000  men,  and  he  had  forty-two  cannon ;  the 
mob  could  easily  have  been  dispersed ;  but  the  King 
was  misinformed  and  told  that  his  assailants 
amounted  to  60,000  in  number,  and  that  resistance 
was  impossible. 

Under  this  impression  he  signed  his  abdication  in 
favour  of  the  Due  de  Bordeaux,  and  appointed  the 
Due  d'Orleans,  Lieut. -general  of  the  Kingdom. 

At  the  time  he  felt  no  doubt  that  the  Due  d'Or- 
leans would  be  as  loyal  to  the  little  Due  de  Bordeaux, 
as  his  ancestor  the  Regent  d'Orleans  had  been  to  the 
child  Louis  XV. 

Later  on,  when  Louis  Philippe  appointed  Odilon 
Barrot  to  escort  Charles  X.  to  the  coast,  he  deplored 
the  fate  which  made  him  apparently  the  instrument 

192 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  sending  into  exile  one  who  had  loaded  him  with 
benefits  and  whom  he  sincerely  loved. 

When  Charles  X.  wrote  to  appoint  Due  d'Orleans 
Lieut.-general  of  the  Kingdom,  he  had  been  previously 
appointed  by  the  Chamber. 

He  was  fighting  against  exile  and  loss  of  fortune 
for  himself  and  his  family,  which  he  was  determined 
to  avoid  at  any  cost. 

It  is  impossible  here  to  enter  into  all  details  of  the 
July  Revolution,  how  the  Due  d'Orleans  desired  as 
Lieut.-general  of  the  Kingdom  to  act  as  regent  for  the 
little  Due  de  Bordeaux,  in  whose  favour  Charles  X.  had 
abdicated,  how  this  project  fell  through,  how  the  crown 
was  offered  to  the  Due  d'Orleans  on  condition  of  his  ac- 
cepting a  Constitution,  and  how  he  did  finally  accept  it. 

Marie  Am^lie's  heart  was  torn  asunder  between 
her  wish  to  believe  her  husband  in  the  right  and  her 
real  affection  for  the  royal  family,  and  she  was  greatly 
distressed  to  receive  a  note  from  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry's  little  daughter,  saying  they  counted  on  Marie 
Amelie's  using  her  influence  for  the  little  Due  de  Bor- 
deaux, the  writer's  little  brother. 

But  it  was  too  late,  and  Marie  Amelie  remained 
in  her  bed-chamber  sobbing,  and  saying  repeatedly : 
"  What  a  catastrophe.  They  will  call  my  husband  a 
usurper ! " 

When  the  news  was  brought  to  the  young  princes 
and  princesses  at  Villiers  Coterets,  it  was  not  welcome. 
They  were  sitting  at  table.  The  princesses  burst  into 
tears,  buried  their  faces  in  their  handkerchiefs,  and  got 
up  and  left  the  room  in  despair. 

193  13 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  general  verdict  is  that  Louis  Philippe  was 
a  usurper,  and  that  he  had  always  aimed  at  the 
crown. 

He  himself  denied  it,  so  did  his  sons.^ 

The  situation  is  well  summed  up  by  the  distin- 
guished academician,  Rene  Bazin,  who  says:  "Facts 
prove  that  the  Due  d'Orleans  did  not  seek  power ;  he 
accepted  it  in  order  that  France  should  not  become 
a  Republic,  or  fall  into  anarchy  ". 

The  Russian  ambassador  said  :  "  When  the  city 
was  heaped  with  dead  bodies,  the  Due  d'Orleans 
appeared  amidst  the  confusion  of  parties,  and  acted 
as  necessity  obliged  him  to  ". 

The  Due  de  Chartres  said  :  "  My  father  used  to 
say  that  the  people  of  France  were  so  tired  of 
revolutions  that  they  would  forgive  Charles  X.  any- 
thing except  the  violation  of  the  Charter.  He  was 
really  attached  to  the  King,  and  never  anticipated 
that  he  could  be  so  blind  as  to  commit  political 
suicide,  as  he  subsequently  did.  My  father  hoped 
for  the  stability  of  King  Charles's  Government,  de- 
siring this  the  more  on  account  of  his  own  repug- 
nance to  the  throne,  which  he  saw  must  devolve  on 
him  in  the  event  of  a  revolution.  My  mother,  who 
was  united  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  and  Madame 
Royale,  not  only  by  ties  of  close  relationship,  but  by 
mutual  deep  affection,  desired  even  more  ardently 
the  continuance  of  the  sovereignty  of  the  elder 
branch,  and  had  done  her  best  to  persuade  me  to 

1  The  Prince  de  JoinvUle  wrote  :  "  I  know  with  absolute  cer- 
tainty that  my  father  did  not  desire  the  crown  ". 

194 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

consent  to  a  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry." 

After  accepting  the  Lieutenant-generalship,  the 
Due  d'Orleans  himself  said  to  Chateaubriand  that 
nothing  but  a  stern  sense  of  duty  and  patriotism  had 
impelled  him  to  take  any  part  in  politics,  and  that 
he  desired  nothing  better,  after  having  re-established 
order,  than  to  return  to  the  peaceful  existence  from 
which  he  had  emerged. 

This  is  what  he  would  naturally  feel.  He  had 
wealth,  great  estates,  a  splendid  position.  By  active 
benevolence  he  served  his  country  in  many  ways, 
and  the  management  of  his  estates  and  the  building 
up  of  fortunes  for  his  family  gave  him  occupation. 
He  was  fifty-six  years  old,  thoroughly  happy  in  his 
domestic  life.  What  had  he  to  gain  ?  Why  should 
he  wish  to  risk  this  solid  happiness  in  order  to 
balance  himself  for  a  while  on  the  unstable  throne 
of  France  ? 

In  his  own  lifetime  he  had  seen  one  king  be- 
headed, and  the  fall  of  an  emperor  (Napoleon).  He 
had  seen  Louis  XVIII.  compelled  to  fly  at  Napoleon's 
return,  then  the  second  fall  of  Napoleon,  the  re- 
installation of  Louis  XVIII.  and  the  abdication  of  his 
successor.  What  had  he  to  gain  by  the  acceptance 
of  a  crown  dependent  on  the  caprice  of  a  people  who 
had  beheaded  his  father,  once  their  idol,  and  of  an 
army,  who,  while  accepting  the  bounty  of  Louis 
XVIII.,  and  carousing  at  his  expense,  could  say : 
"  Louis  XVIII.  is  a  good  sort  of  man,  but  give  us  the 
little  Corporal,"  and  went  over  to  Napoleon  as  soon 

195 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

as  he  appeared.  Marie  Amelie  also  had  had  personal 
experience  of  the  vicissitudes  to  which  kings  and 
queens  were  exposed  in  the  early  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Her  youth  having  been  passed 
amidst  revolutions — twice  she  had  accompanied  her 
parents  in  their  flight  from  their  kingdom — she  re- 
membered her  mother's  death  in  exile,  her  father's 
abdication,  and  knew  that  her  brother  was  only  main- 
tained in  his  kingdom  by  a  foreign  army. 

When  it  was  necessary  for  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans 
to  leave  Neuilly  to  join  her  husband  in  Paris,  it  was 
proposed  that  she  and  her  sons  and  daughters  should 
make  their  entry  in  state,  in  open  carriages.  But  she 
refused,  saying  :  "  No  !  No  !  it  would  be  repugnant  to 
me,  it  would  have  an  air  of  triumph,  as  if  I  were 
triumphing  over  my  own  relations". 

So  they  went  quietly,  part  of  the  way  in  a  public 
omnibus,  partly  on  foot,  on  account  of  the  barricades. 
When  they  arrived  at  the  Palais  Royal  late  at  night, 
it  was  all  lighted  up,  all  the  doors  were  open,  in  all 
the  rooms  people  were  eating,  and  all  sorts  of  dis- 
reputable-looking people  had  already  settled  them- 
selves to  sleep  on  the  steps  of  the  great  staircase. 

The  appearance  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  excited 
general  comment.  Her  face  was  drawn,  her  eyes 
red  with  weeping,  her  usual  quiet  dignity  quite 
upset. 

Next  day  the  Palais  Royal  was  like  a  fair,  open 
to  all  the  world.  Deputations  were  constantly  arriv- 
ing ;  men,  women,  and  children  of  the  mob  forced 
their  way  into  the  presence  of  the  d'Orleans  family, 

196 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

who  had  to  embrace  them  on  the  balcony  in  the  face 
of  the  crowds  assembled  outside  the  windows. 

How  distasteful  all  this  must  have  been  to  "  the 
greatest  great  lady  in  Europe,"  ^  can  well  be  imagined. 
The  hospitals  were  full  of  those  who  had  been 
wounded  during  the  insurrection,  and  Marie  Amelie 
and  Mdme.  Adelaide  visited  them  assiduously. 

Misery  and  poverty  were  widespread,  and  Marie 
Amelie  realised  some  of  her  private  fortune  in  order 
to  have  means  to  help  the  distressed. 

After  the  crown  had  been  offered  to  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  a  dispute  arose  as  to  the  conditions  of 
the  new  Monarchy,  and  the  title  he  was  to  assume. 
Finally  it  was  decided  that  he  was  not  to  be  declared 
"  King  of  France  by  the  Grace  of  God,"  but  *'  King 
of  the  French,  by  the  Will  of  the  People  ". 

A  significant  principle  was  involved  in  these  words. 

The  7th  August,  1830,  was  the  day  appointed  for 
the  recognition  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  as  King  of  the 
French. 

There  was  to  be  no  solemn  ceremony,  such  as  he 
had  assisted  at  when  Charles  X.  was  crowned  ;  it  was 
to  be  only  the  signature  of  a  contract  between  him 
and  the  nation. 

Accompanied  by  his  whole  family  he  repaired  to 
the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  where  a  throne,  draped  with 
tricolor  flags,  had  been  erected. 

The  Princesses  took  seats  in  the  Tribunes.  The 
Due  d'Orleans  with  a  son  on  each  side  of  him  took 
seats  in  front  of  the  Throne.     The  peers  and  deputies 

1  Talleyrand's  description  of  Marie  Amelie. 

197 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

had  risen  at  his  entrance.  Casimir  Perier  read  aloud 
the  Declaration  of  the  Chamber  of  Peers  containing 
the  provisions  of  the  new  Constitution,  and  Pasquier 
that  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies.  The  Due  d'Orleans 
signed  both  Declarations  and  then  took  his  seat 
on  the  Throne.  The  heralds  proclaimed  him  **  Louis 
Philippe  I.,  King  of  the  French  ".  There  were  some 
cries  of  "Vive  le  Roi,"  but  the  ceremony  was  a  very 
tame  one. 

As  for  Marie  Amelie  there  was  never  any  public 
recognition  or  official  assumption  of  her  royal  dignity, 
though  of  course  she  was  always  hereafter  addressed 
as  Queen,  and  there  was  never  but  one  opinion  about 
her,  and  that  is,  that  she  was  worthy  of  the  rank,  and 
adorned  the  position. 

After  having  signed  the  Declaration  the  King 
left  the  Chamber,  shaking  hands  with  the  National 
Guard  as  he  passed  out.  Then  he  mounted  his  horse, 
and  accompanied  by  his  sons  rode  back  to  the 
Tuileries. 

Marie  Amelie's  great  affection  for  her  husband, 
and  her  life -long  conviction  that  he  could  do  no  wrong, 
gradually  reconciled  her  to  the  position,  and  she  said  : 
"  Since  by  God's  will  this  Crown  of  Thorns  has  been 
placed  on  our  heads,  we  must  accept  it  and  the  duties 
it  entails  ".  But  if  any  one  congratulated  her  on  her 
husband's  accession,  she  always  replied:  "I  cannot 
see  any  advantages,  I  see  only  that  I  have  lost  my 
peaceful  home  life  and  sheltered  position,  and  I 
tremble  for  the  uncertain  future  of  my  family  ". 

Louis  Philippe  also  always  said  :  "Not  congratu- 

198 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

lations  but  condolences  are  what  should  be  offered  to 
us". 

Meanwhile  Charles  X.  and  the  old  royal  family 
were  slowly  making  their  way  to  exile.  The  old  King 
was  seventy-three,  and  throughout  their  journey  to 
the  coast,  he  and  the  royal  party  were  received  with 
every  mark  of  sympathy  and  respect. 

The  first  place  they  stopped  at  after  leaving  Ram- 
bouillet  was  the  Castle  of  Maintenon.  The  King  had 
sent  to  ask  the  Due  de  Noailles  to  receive  him,  and 
on  their  arrival  at  2  A.M.,  the  royal  party  found  the 
chateau  illuminated  as  if  for  a,/^te. 

Their  host  was  Due  Paul  de  ISoailles,  author  of 
the  Life  of  Mme.  de  Maintenon.  From  Mme.  de 
Maintenon's  niece  and  heiress,  who  married  the  Due 
de  Noailles  of  her  day,  he  had  inherited  the  estate 
of  Maintenon.  The  royal  party  and  their  hosts 
assembled  in  the  room  which  had  been  the  bed- 
room of  Louis  XIV.,  and  Charles  X.  slept  in  Mme. 
de  Maintenon's  room.  In  the  morning  he  attended 
Mass  in  the  little  chapel,  which  has  remained  un- 
changed since  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  the  only  one  of  the 
party  in  sufficiently  good  spirits  to  do  justice  to  the 
splendid  collation  provided  for  them. 

The  remembrance  of  this  visit  of  Charles  X.  is 
still  cherished  at  Maintenon.  The  present  owner  was 
then  only  four  years  old.  In  the  room  the  King  slept 
in  a  plaque  has  been  placed  with  the  inscription  :  "  His 
Majesty  Charles  X.  here  passed  the  night  of  3rd  and 
4th  August,  1830  ".    Above  it  is  a  picture  of  the  sove- 

199 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

reign,  the  last  of  the  elder  branch  of  the  Bourbons,  in 
the  mantle  and  collar  of  the  Order  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Next  day  the  royal  party  continued  their  journey 
and  went  by  slow  stages  to  Cherbourg.  At  Argentan 
they  heard  that  Louis  Philippe  had  accepted  the 
crown,  and  Charles  X.  must  have  remembered  with 
some  bitterness  that  when  warned  against  the  Due 
d'Orleans  he  had  replied:  "I  thoroughly  trust  my 
cousin,  if  he  takes  the  crown  you  may  say  Charles  X. 
was  an  old  fool ". 

The  royal  party  embarked  at  Cherbourg.  The 
ladies,  the  Duchesses  d'Angouleme  and  Berry,  quite 
broke  down  when  bidding  good-bye  to  the  officers 
who  had  attended  them.  The  King  ascended  the 
bridge,  and  as  the  vessel  moved  away  from  the  shores 
of  France  he  raised  his  hat,  and  with  a  noble  and 
dignified  salute  bade  an  eternal  farewell  to  his 
country.  The  sea  was  calm  and  the  rays  of  the  set- 
ting sun  illumined  the  dignified  and  venerable  figure 
of  Charles  X.  which  was  defined  against  the  horizon, 
a  dramatic  and  touching  sight,  that  dwelt  long  in  the 
memory  of  those  who  witnessed  it. 


200 


CHAPTEK  XI. 

Disturbances  and  Insurrections — Life  of  Marie  Am61ie  and  Louis 
Philippe  as  King  and  Queen  of  the  French — King's  Motives 
for  Accepting  Crown — Public  Opinion  on  Marie  Am61ie — 
Her  Eeluctance  to  Accept  Crown — The  Duchesse  de  Berry's 
Attempt  to  Eaise  an  Insurrection  in  Favour  of  her  Son — Her 
Imprisonment  at  Blaye. 

The  life  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  the  French  at  the 
Palais  Royal  was  much  less  dignified  than  that  of 
the  Due  and  Duchesse  d'Orleans  had  been.  They 
were  now  obliged  to  cringe  to  the  mob,  who  walked 
in  and  out  of  their  apartments  at  will,  and  treated 
the  family  with  insolent  familiarity.^  Open  house 
was  kept,  and  three  times  a  week  sixty  to  eighty 
guests,  drawn  from  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men, 
dined  at  the  King's  table. 

Louis  Philippe  affected  a  bourgeois  style  of  dress, 
and  a  bourgeois  "  hail  fellow  well  met "  sort  of 
manner. 

He  seldom  wore  uniform.  His  usual  costume 
was  nankeen  trousers,  blue  coat  with  gold  buttons, 
a  vast  white  waistcoat  and  a  grey  hat ;  he  usually 

^  Prince  de  Joinville  relates  that  the  elders  among  his  fellow 
collegians  used  to  cuff  him  and  say:  "Now  then,  young  Royalty, 
do  this  or  that  ". 

201 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

walked  about  carrying  an  umbrella,  which  the  cari- 
caturists made  use  of.  Although  he  had  become 
very  stout  he  still  retained  an  air  of  youth  on  account 
of  his  alert  movements  and  brisk,  business-like  manner. 

People  treated  the  Queen  in  a  manner  very  different 
to  that  in  which  they  treated  the  King.  Her  innate 
high  breeding  and  dignity  compelled  respect. 

A  Republican  general  remarked  :  "  I  am  quite  at 
ease  with  the  King,  and  speak  to  him  as  if  he  were 
my  equal ;  but  the  Queen  makes  me  feel  shy.  When 
I  have  to  answer  her  I  do  not  know  what  to  say,  and 
I  stammer  and  look  like  a  fool." 

Louis  Philippe  always  said  he  had  only  accepted 
the  crown  in  order  to  save  the  country  from  anarchy, 
and  maintain  order,  but  a  long  time  elapsed  before 
he  succeeded  in  accomplishing  that. 

Paris  was  in  a  state  of  turmoil.  The  churches 
were  closed,  and  it  was  not  safe  for  the  clergy  to 
appear  in  the  streets.    The  Archbishop  was  in  hiding. 

In  October,  1830,  a  howling,  drunken  mob  sur- 
rounded the  Palais  Royal,  demanding  the  lives  of 
the  late  King's  Ministers.^  Troops  were  called  out  to 
disperse  them ;  they  then  went  to  Vincennes,  where 
the  Ministers  were  imprisoned.  They  did  not  get 
there  till  midnight,  and  the  Governor  of  the  Castle, 
General  Daumesnil,  who  had  lost  a  leg  in  Napoleon's 
wars,  came  out  alone  to  the  gate  to  meet  them. 

^  Louis  Philippe,  against  his  will,  had  been  obliged  to  imprison 
and  bring  them  to  trial,  but  managed  to  get  a  law  passed  abolish- 
ing capital  punishment  for  political  offences,  and  thus  saved  their 
hves. 

202 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

"  What  do  you  want  ? " 

"The  former  Ministers,  who  composed  the  Or- 
dinances." 

"  You  will  not  have  them.  They  are  entrusted 
to  my  charge,  and  will  not  leave  this  place  till  they 
go  before  the  judges." 

"The  people  are  the  judges.  Death  to  the  Minis- 
ters !  " 

"  You  shall  not  have  them.  Sooner  than  give  up 
to  you  these  men  who  have  been  committed  to  my 
care,  I  swear  that  I  will  set  fire  to  the  powder 
magazine,  and  you  and  I,  and  the  Ministers  will  all 
die  together." 

The  mob  was  checked ;  their  anger  turned  to 
admiration  ;  they  cheered  "  old  wooden-leg  "  and  went 
back  to  Paris,  but  they  went  straight  to  the  Palais 
Royal,  and  awoke  the  King  and  Queen,  entered  the 
halls  and  streamed  up  the  staircase,  till  driven  back 
by  the  Guard.  On  this  occasion  Mdme.  Adelaide 
showed  a  gallant  spirit.  When  Marshal  Gerard 
remarked  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  save  the 
Ministers,  she  replied :  "  Well,  Monsieur,  then  we 
will  all  perish  in  the  attempt". 

For  a  long  time  it  was  necessary  to  have  troops 
encamped  throughout  the  city  to  keep  the  populace 
down. 

In  February,  1831,  there  was  a  worse  riot  when 
a  Mass  was  being  said  in  memory  of  the  Due  de 
Berry.  The  mob  sacked  the  church,  dressed  them- 
selves in  the  ecclesiastical  robes,  and  thus  attired 
danced  the  Carmagnole  through  the  streets-     This 

203 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

riot  lasted  three  clays,  and  the  scenes   enacted   re- 
minded every  one  of  the  days  of  the  Terror. 

A  while  later  the  mob  forced  their  way  into  the 
Palais  Royal,  when  the  King  and  Queen  and  Lord 
Granville,  and  other  distinguished  guests  were  at 
dinner.  A  ruffian  with  a  long  knife  made  at  the 
King,  whose  life  was  only  saved  by  the  action  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  who  sprang  upon  the  fellow  and 
dragged  him  out. 

Soon  after  this  the  royal  family  took  up  their 
abode  at  the  Tuileries.  The  King  had  a  deep  moat 
dug  under  the  windows,  fenced  by  an  iron  balustrade, 
saying :  "  I  do  not  intend  my  wife's  ears  to  be  pol- 
luted with  all  the  horrors  Marie  Antoinette  had  to 
endure  when  the  people  had  the  entrance  to  the 
gardens,  and  could  come  close  to  the  windows". 
The  Queen  wrote  to  her  son,  the  Due  de  Nemours, 
who  was  absent  at  the  time :  "  We  are  well,  but 
sadder  than  ever  in  this  ill-fated  Palace.  Yesterday 
we  received  the  Corps  Diplomatique  in  the  Throne- 
room.  There  were  a  great  many  of  them,  and  they 
seemed  very  pleased  to  find  themselves  again  in  their 
old  Salon  des  Ambassadeurs  ;  I  wish  them  joy  of  it." 

The  Revolutionary  movements  which  permeated 
all  the  countries  of  Europe — starting  from  Paris  and 
its  secret  societies  in  which  Republicans,  Bonapartists 
and  Legitimists  were  plotting  in  their  several  ways — 
necessitated  the  creation  of  a  new  staff  of  Secret 
Police  (Cabinet  Noir),  on  the  accession  of  Louis 
Philippe. 

Francois  Raspail,  President  of  the  Society  of  the 

204 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAMIE  AMELIE 

Friends  of  the  People,  was  a  chemist,  a  physiologist 
and  artilleryman,  and  had  played  an  important  part 
in  overthrowing  Charles  X.  Under  Louis  Philippe 
he  fulminated  in  the  pages  of  the  Tribune  against  the 
Government  and  the  King  who,  he  said,  "  was  none 
of  his  choosing  ".     His  articles  were  eagerly  read. 

Louis  Philippe  was  disturbed  and  alarmed,  and 
said  to  Montalivet,  then  Minister  of  the  Interior, 
*'  Good  God  !     What  does  the  man  want  ?  " 

"  Sire,"  replied  Montalivet,  ''  probably,  like  all 
the  other  heroes  of  July,  he  wants  the  Cross  of  the 
Legion  of  Honour." 

"  Then  give  it  to  him,"  cried  the  King,  *'  and  let 
me  have  peace  ! " 

On  the  morrow  Raspail,  Friend  of  the  People, 
head  of  a  Secret  Society,  and  proprietor  of  the  Tri- 
buney  received  a  bulky  official  document.  Supposing  it 
to  be  a  summons,  he  threw  it  on  his  desk  and  pre- 
pared for  imprisonment. 

After  a  while  he  opened  it,  and  words  could 
not  express  the  amazement  with  which  he  read  as 
follows  : — 

"  Monsieur.  I  have  the  honour  to  announce  to 
you  that  by  ordinance  under  date  March  13th,  1831, 
His  Majesty  the  King  has  appointed  you  Chevalier  of 
the  Legion  of  Honour.  The  Grand  Chancellor  of  the 
Order  will  at  once  send  you  a  duplicate  of  this  an- 
nouncement of  your  appointment. 

"(Signed)    Montalivet." 

Open-mouthed,  Raspail  looked  again  at  the  docu- 

205 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

ment,  to  see  if  the  date  was  not  1st  April  instead  of 
13th  March. 

The  Republican,  expecting  chains,  received  the 
Cross  of  Honour. 

He  immediately  wrote  a  refusal  and  sent  a  copy- 
to  all  the  Opposition  newspapers,  as  well  as  to  Monta- 
livet. 

But  between  Raspail's  reception  of  the  official 
announcement  and  his  reply  to  it,  a  ministerial  crisis 
intervened,  and  Casimir  Perier  succeeded  Montalivet. 

When  the  refusal  of  the  Friend  of  the  People  ap- 
peared in  the  newspapers,  Casimir  Perier  observed  : 
"  Very  Good  !  Let  Raspail  choose  :  the  Cross  of  the 
Legion  of  Honour  or  prison  !  " 

Three  days  later  the  official  announcement  of  his 
appointment  appeared  in  the  Moniteur. 

Raspail  was  furious,  and  went  to  the  office  of 
the  Moniteur  to  insist  on  the  insertion  of  his  refusal. 
The  editor  replied  blandly  that  his  paper  could  not 
thus  insult  the  noble  institution  of  the  Legion  of 
Honour. 

On  returning  home  he  found  a  courteous  letter 
from  the  Prefect  of  the  Seine,  saying  he  would  have 
the  honour  of  receiving  M.  Raspail  as  Chevalier  of  the 
Legion  of  Honour,  on  the  following  Friday.  This 
was  maddening.  This  excess  of  official  graciousness 
was  degenerating  into  sarcasm  ! 

On  his  way  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville  to  inform  the 
Prefect  in  person  that  he  would  not  be  thus  received, 
Raspail  met  a  congratulatory  deputation  of  the  Dames 
de  la  Halle,  who  flung  themselves  and  a  huge  bouquet 

206 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

into  the  arms  of  the  new  knight.  But  even  this  was 
not  the  worst. 

He  who  despised  priests  as  much  as  he  did  the 
Legion  of  Honour,  received  a  charming  letter  from 
Bishop  Gringoire,  Commander  of  the  Order,  claiming 
the  right  to  be  first  in  congratulating  him  on  his  new 
appointment. 

A  Bishop  congratulating  Kaspail !  This  was  worse 
than  imprisonment. 

But  Casimir  Perier  was  not  the  man  to  give  way 
any  more  than  was  Raspail  himself. 

"  Cross  or  prison,"  said  the  Minister. 

If  Kaspail  would  not  accept  the  decoration  he 
should  be  punished  for  refusing  to  serve  in  the  ar- 
tillery, after  he  had  received  orders  to  prevent  the 
assemblings  of  mobs,  and  for  writings  calculated  to 
disturb  social  order. 

At  his  examination  he  boasted  of  his  power  and 
influence,  and  avowed  the  truth  of  all  that  he  was 
accused  of.  He  had  signed  his  declaration  and  was 
leaving,  when  the  judge  said  to  him  :  "  Is  it  not  true 
that  because  you  belong  to  a  Secret  Society  you  have 
been  obliged  to  refuse  the  Cross  of  the  Legion  of 
Honour  ? " 

"  Monsieur,  I  refuse  to  compromise  others,"  said 
Raspail,  but  he  departed  less  proud  of  himself  and 
his  vaunted  liberty  than  he  had  been  a  few  minutes 
earlier,  for  it  is  a  fact  that  members  of  Secret  Societies 
have  less  independence  than  other  men.  They  are 
compelled  to  obey,  without  remonstrance,  an  inflexible 
command. 

207 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

They  resemble  men  who,  having  broken  the  bonds 
of  marriage,  become  slaves  to  an  exacting  mistress. 

Louis  Philippe,  in  spite  of  his  bourgeois  air  of 
simplicity  and  conciliatory  policy,  w^as  soon  found  to 
be  inexorable  in  maintaining  his  authority  and  resist- 
ing any  attempts  at  diminution  of  his  powers.  To 
outward  ceremony  and  the  trappings  of  his  rank,  he 
was  indifferent.  But  if  he  did  not  reign  he  governed. 
By  degrees  the  people  found  they  had  given  them- 
selves a  master. 

On  one  occasion  a  provincial  president  who  was 
deputed  to  make  an  address  to  the  King,  who  had 
come  to  Evereux  for  a  public  function,  took  the  op- 
portunity of  adding  some  impertinent  remarks,  on  the 
plea  "that  it  was  good  for  Kings  to  hear  the  truth ". 

Louis  Philippe  replied :  "  Yes,  doubtless,  M.  le 
President,  Kings  must  hear  the  truth,  but  so  also 
should  the  nation.  To-day  the  people  have  their 
flatterers  as  in  old  days  Kings  had,  and  these  flatterers 
know  how  to  mutilate  truth,  as  well  as  how  to  check 
it  by  calumny.  Time  and  the  common  sense  of  the 
people  will  at  last  show  them  their  real  interests,  but 
it  is  only  by  repressing  passion  and  partiality  that 
they  can  succeed  in  forming  a  sound  judgment." 

There  continued  to  be  insurrections  from  time  to 
time  but  they  were  put  down.  The  King's  life  was 
constantly  attempted,  but  that  did  not  deter  him  from 
appearing  in  public.  His  courage  never  failed  ;  if 
told  of  an  intended  attempt  on  his  life,  that  never  pre- 
vented his  keeping  an  engagement ;  he  only  remarked  : 
^'  It  seems  there  is  no  close  time  for  hunting  me  ". 

208 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

It  has  always  been  thought  that  Louis  Philippe 
was  something  of  a  free  thinker,  but  from  youth 
upwards  he  had  been  trained  in  religious  observances. 
An  entry  in  the  journal  which  he  kept  as  a  young 
man  records  frequent  attendance  at  Mass,  and  in 
one  passage  he  thanks  God  that  the  religious  senti- 
ments inspired  by  his  mother,  enabled  him  to  avoid 
the  dissipations  and  immorality  of  young  men  of 
fashion.  While  in  the  Republican  army  he  records  : 
"  My  officers  laughed  and  talked  at  Mass.  I  enjoined 
more  reverent  behaviour,  and  rebuked  them." 

Another  entry  in  the  journal  relates  how  the 
people  in  a  village  where  he  was  quartered  wished 
to  hang  two  priests.  "  I  rushed  out  and  saved  them, 
the  mob  saying  they  would  let  them  off  as  a  favour 
to  M.  de  Chartres,  who  was  a  good  patriot.  I  gave 
my  arm  to  one  priest,  and  the  Mayor  gave  his  the 
other.  We  had  to  cross  a  little  footbridge  without 
rails.  The  mob  tried  to  put  their  sticks  between  the 
priests'  legs  to  make  them  fall  into  the  water.  I 
called  out  to  them  to  keep  their  promise,  and  they 
quieted  down." 

Later  on,  when  an  exile  in  England,  he  said  :  "  It 
is  not  a  question  of  being  a  Christian  of  one  de- 
nomination or  the  other,  but  of  being  a  Christian  or 
not.  That,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  only  question  of 
importance  in  these  horrible  times,  when  religion  and 
morals  are  attacked  on  all  sides,  and  irreligion  and 
immorality  spread  their  fatal  influence  so  rapidly." 

After  the  Revolution  of  1830  the  French  people, 
knowing  that  Charles  X.  made  common  cause  with 

209  14 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAEIE  AMELIE 

the  Church,  wished  to  remove  all  outward  signs  of 
religion  after  they  had  driven  him  away.  Crucifixes 
were  cut  down  from  public  places,  and  priests  dared 
not  appear  in  clerical  attire.  This  attack  came  from 
the  middle  class,  who  had  adopted  Voltairean  ideas. 
Jules  Janin  said  :  "  Catholicisme  ne  va  plus,"  and  a 
University  inspector  at  the  College  of  Rennes  said  : 
**  This  is  a  great  era,  we  may  assist  at  the  funeral  of 
a  great  religion".  A  few  years  later  a  remarkable 
reaction  took  place.  If  religion  had  died,  there  had 
certainly  been  a  resurrection.  In  1830  the  sight 
of  a  young  man  in  church  would  have  been  con- 
sidered astonishing.  In  1835  young  men  thronged 
to  Notre  Dame  to  hear  Lacordaire.  The  Pope 
founded  an  order  of  Benedictine  monks  at  Solesmes, 
and  Abb^  Gu^rangur  appeared  with  a  crozier  and 
mitre,  the  first  time  they  had  been  seen  since  the 
reign  of  Louis  XVI. 

In  1830  France  was  officially  irreligious.  In  1835 
Louis  Philippe  ventured  to  show  himself  well  dis- 
posed to  Cathohcism.  The  Chapel  of  St.  Germain 
I'Auxerrois  was  reopened,  and  Chancellor  Barthe, 
who  signed  the  decree,  said  :  "  I  have  experienced  all 
the  tribulations  incident  to  the  career  of  a  statesman, 
but  a  moment  like  this  makes  up  for  all ". 

Church  endowments  were  raised,  and  the  number 
of  priests  increased  by  the  Government  of  Louis 
Philippe,  and  he  spent  1,000,000  francs  in  embellish- 
ing churches.  The  Pope,  Gregory  XVL,  when  ad- 
vising the  French  clergy,  who  were  mostly  Legitimists, 
to  submit  to  his   Government,  said :    "  I  am  much 

210 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

pleased  with  King  Louis  Philippe.  I  wish  all  the 
Kings  of  Europe  were  like  him." 

Attempts  to  assassinate  the  King  continued 
throughout  twelve  years,  but  the  people  always 
cheered  and  congratulated  him  after  his  escape. 

Marie  Am^lie  showed  great  courage  and  firmness 
throughout  these  years  of  stress  and  trial,  saying : 
"  Since  God  has  placed  this  Crown  of  Thorns  on  our 
heads,  we  must  fight  for  it  and  maintain  it  at  all 
costs  ". 

She  was  an  exceptional  woman ;  she  ever  rose  to 
the  occasion,  and  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  her 
life  displayed  the  qualities  that  each  event  demanded. 

It  was  quite  ten  years  before  France  settled  down, 
order  was  established,  and  Louis  Philippe's  Govern- 
ment could  hold  its  own. 

Marie  Amelie  was  exceptionally  fortunate  in  her 
children,  who  were  all  unusually  gifted,  and  she  had 
much  domestic  happiness,  which  fortified  her  to  en- 
dure the  ups  and  downs  of  political  life. 

At  ten  o'clock  all  but  the  King  breakfasted  to- 
gether ;  at  eleven  they  passed  into  the  drawing-room  ; 
the  Princesses  and  their  mother  sat  round  a  table, 
where  each  had  her  drawer,  of  which  she  kept  the 
key,  and  in  which  the  needlework  was  put  away. 
They  all  sewed  at  garments  for  the  poor,  but  not 
Mdme.  Adelaide,  who  was  never  seen  with  a  needle 
in  her  hand.  In  the  afternoon  they  often  had  a  game 
of  billiards.  Marie  Amelie  was  the  best  player,  and 
acted  as  marker.  Each  player  contributed  a  franc, 
and   the   pool   was   given   by   the   winner    to    some 

211 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

charity.  At  three  o'clock  all,  including  the  King, 
went  out  driving,  to  Neuilly,  to  Versailles  or  St. 
Cloud. 

Dinner  was  at  six  o'clock ;  there  were  never  less 
than  twenty-five  guests  at  table.  After  dinner  all 
assembled  in  the  King's  drawing-room,  where  visitors 
came  every  evening  to  pay  their  respects. 

Louis  Philippe  and  his  sons  glanced  at  the  news- 
papers, political  brochures  and  caricatures,  which 
were  daily  placed  on  the  round  table.  The  Princes 
used  to  read  aloud  the  attacks  made  upon  them, 
and  show  the  caricatures  to  the  members  of  the 
household  or  to  visitors,  asking  their  opinion,  and 
thus  often  placing  loyal  admirers  in  an  awkward 
position. 

The  Princesses  entered  into  all  Court  gaieties 
with  zest ;  they  attended  reviews,  visited  hospitals, 
and  made  themselves  very  popular. 

The  two  eldest  sons,  the  Dues  d'Orleans  and 
Nemours,  entered  the  army ;  the  third,  Prince  de 
Joinville,  entered  the  navy.  The  crown  of  Belgium 
was  offered  to  the  Due  de  Nemours,  but  declined, 
and  Prince  Leopold  of  Saxe-Cobourg  was  finally 
elected.  The  Dutch  disputed  his  right,  and  King 
Louis  Philippe  sent  an  army  of  60,000  men  to  help 
King  Leopold,  his  son-in-law.^  The  Dues  d'Orleans 
and  de  Nemours  accompanied  the  troops. 

It  was  the  first  time  the  Due  de  Nemours  had 
been  on  active  service,  and  Marie  Amdlie,  who  still 

1  Princess  Louise,  Marie  Am61ie's  eldest  daughter,  married  the 
King  of  the  Belgians,  August,  1832, 

212 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

kept  up  the  habit  of  corresponding  with  her  sons, 
wrote  charming  letters  to  him. 

On  the  3rd  of  December,  1832,  she  wrote  a  letter 
for  both  sons :  '*  Mes  amis  cheris.  On  awakening 
this  morning  I  received  the  long  and  interesting 
letter  from  Chartres.^  I  do  not  know  how  to  thank 
my  beloved  son  for  it.  It  is  a  treasure !  I  first  read 
it  to  your  father  while  he  was  dressing,  then  to  the 
household  in  the  salon,  and  afterwards  made  Pain^ 
copy  a  part  which  your  father  wishes  to  show  the 
Ministers.  How  I  love  our  brave  army,  from  the 
general  in  command  down  to  the  drummer  boy,  not 
excepting  a  certain  Field  Marshal  (Nemours)  and  a 
Colonel  of  Lancers  (Chartres).  I  feel  so  thoroughly 
a  Frenchwoman." 

In  reply  to  the  Due  de  Nemours'  account  of  his 
first  engagement  she  wrote,  7th  December,  1832 : 
'*  Mon  blond  petit  cheri.  Yesterday,  at  midnight,  I 
received  your  letter  giving  such  a  dear  natural  account 
of  your  '  bapteme  de  feu '. 

"I  embrace  you  for  myself  as  well  as  for  your 
father.  Being  a  Frenchman,  and  the  son  of  such  a 
father,  your  conduct  could  not  have  been  otherwise, 
but  it  is  satisfactory  to  your  mother  to  have  this 
proved.  God  will  preserve  you  for  the  mother  who 
lives  only  for  you." 

A  little  later  she  writes  :  *'  My  dear  and  beloved 
sons.     Yesterday  your  father  brought  a  letter  from 

^The  eldest  son,  though  now  Due  d'Orl^ans,  was  still  always 
called  "  Chartres  "  by  his  family. 
-  The  King's  private  secretary. 

213 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Chartres  to  my  room,  he  read  it  to  me,  for  I  was  so  agi- 
tated that  I  could  not  read  it  myself.  Continue  to 
write  frankly  to  him  and  give  him  all  details.  You 
cannot  imagine  how  greatly  confidences  from  you 
please  him,  your  excellent  father  who  has  such  need 
of  consolation.  In  the  evening  all  the  Ministers  came 
in  succession,  and  the  Marshal  seated  himself  at  my 
side  and  showed  me  a  letter  he  had  received  from 
Chartres,  by  which  he  felt  greatly  flattered.  I  was 
delighted  to  think  of  your  pleasure  in  being  in  the 
vanguard,  for  I  hope  my  children  will  always  be  first 
at  the  post  of  honour  and  duty.  Wherever  you  are, 
set  the  example  of  courage,  uprightness,  prudence  and 
benevolence,  so  that  your  name  may  be  blessed  wher- 
ever you  go. 

"  Adieu,  my  beloved  ones.  I  embrace  you  and  love 
you  from  the  depth  of  my  heart. 

"  In  your  letters  address  me  not  as  Queen,  but  as 
mother  ;  it  is  the  title  I  prefer. 

''(Signed)     Marie  Amelie." 

The  two  brothers  distinguished  themselves,  and 
when  the  news  of  the  taking  of  Anvers,  which  ended 
the  campaign,  reached  Paris  on  Christmas  Day,  great 
was  the  joy  at  the  Tuileries. 

Mme.  Guizot,  writing  to  her  sister  next  day,  said  : 
"  My  husband  being  unwell  deputed  me  to  present  his 
congratulations  at  the  Palace  ;  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
see  the  King  and  Queen,  so  patriotic  so  parental,  so 
delighted  to  know  that  their  sons  are  out  of  danger, 
so  proud  of  the  victory  of  the  French  army,  so  simple 

214 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

in  speaking  of  their  sons'  bravery.  The  Queen  said 
to  me :  '  My  sons  have  done  their  duty,  and  I  am 
charmed  that  it  is  now  known  that  they  can  be  counted 
upon  in  all  emergencies'."  Probably  her  pride  in 
them  and  joy  in  their  safety  helped  her  to  bear  with 
equanimity  what  had  lately  happened  in  another 
direction,  and  which  must  have  been  a  great  trial  and 
grief  to  her,  i.e.,  the  imprisonment  of  her  niece,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry,  at  Blaye. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  had  courage,  intelligence 
and  heart.  Her  love  of  France  was  almost  exagger- 
ated. She  took  the  rights  of  her  son  very  seriously, 
and  would  have  been  willing  to  die  many  deaths  in 
defence  of  them.  When  Charles  X.  abdicated  in 
favour  of  the  Due  de  Bordeaux  she  could  hardly  be 
prevented  going  to  the  Chamber  and  claiming  the 
Regency. 

"  What  a  misfortune  it  is  to  be  a  woman,"  she  said. 

In  exile  she  still  considered  herself  as  Regent  for 
her  son,  and  was  determined  not  to  give  up  his  king- 
dom without  a  struggle. 

At  his  birth,  which  was  an  occasion  of  great  re- 
joicing to  the  Legitimists,  the  Castle  and  Estate  of 
Chambord  had  been  bought  for  him  by  public  sub- 
scription ;  and  during  his  years  of  exile,  Comte  de 
Chambord  was  the  title  he  was  known  by.  The  very 
greatest  pains  had  been  taken  with  his  education,  he 
had  great  intelligence  and  a  truly  noble  heart.  His 
governor  had  warned  him  against  being  led  by  flattery, 
and  one  day  when  a  visitor  who  had  paid  him  fulsome 
compliments   had   departed,  the  little   Prince   said : 

215 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

"  He  was  a  flatterer,  but  he  did  not  get  my  cheese  ". 
One  day  at  Prague,  where  he  went  with  his  grand- 
father in  the  days  of  their  exile,  a  Royalist  visitor 
told  him  he  ought  to  be  King  of  France. 

"  The  place  is  taken,"  replied  the  boy. 

"  He  who  has  taken  it  should  be  killed,"  said  the 
visitor. 

"  But  I  forbid  it,"  said  the  Comte  de  Chambord 
with  much  decision. 

He  probably  knew  nothing  of  his  mother's  plans 
which  had  not  the  approval  of  Charles  X.  The 
Due  de  Blacas,  too,  did  his  utmost  to  dissuade  her 
from  making  an  attempt  to  raise  La  Vendee,  which 
was  what  she  intended  to  do.  But  she  was  in  cor- 
respondence with  Legitimists  of  France,  and  carried 
on  her  preparations  with  method  and  vigour.  In 
1831  the  Due  de  Modena  received  her  at  Lucca  and 
promised  his  assistance ;  she  also  visited  Rome  and 
Naples,  accompanied  by  Due  de  Blacas,  Comte  de 
Mesnard  and  the  Comte  de  Rosanter.  At  Rome  she 
met  again  a  young  Sicilian  nobleman  whom  she  had 
known  in  the  days  of  her  youth.  He  was  in  the 
Diplomatic  Service.  The  renewal  of  their  acquaint- 
ance was  destined  to  have  a  fatal  effect  on  her  fortunes. 

Her  partisans  thought  she  had  only  to  appear  in 
the  South  of  France  bearing  a  white  flag  and  that  a 
general  rising  would  take  place  in  her  favour.  When 
their  preparations  were  completed,  they  embarked  with 
her  on  a  steamer  obtained  by  the  Vicomte  St.  Prie 
and  landed  at  Saoussa  near  Marseilles.  Six  years 
before,  on  arriving  at  Marseilles,  a  salute  of  guns  was 

216 


DucHESsE  DE  Berry 


To  face  2}.  216 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

fired  to  greet  the  future  Queen  of  France,  as  she  was* 
then  considered,  now  she  had  to  hide  in  a  farmhouse, 
while  M.  de  Lachan  and  M.  de  Bonnund  and  their 
followers  marched  through  the  streets  waving  the 
white  flag  and  crying  "  Vive  Henri  VIII.  Vive  la 
Religion".  They  also  went  to  the  Church  of  St. 
Laurent,  and  hoisted  the  white  flag  there  and  rang 
the  tocsin.  A  crowd  assembled,  composed  chiefly  of 
women.  The  coastguards  cut  down  the  white  flag 
and  a  regiment  of  Louis  Philippe's  Government  soon 
appeared,  dispersing  the  crowd  and  arresting  some  of 
them.  At  noon  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  in  her  farm- 
house received  a  note  from  the  leader  of  her  party 
saying  :  **  All  is  lost.  We  must  leave  France."  She 
replied :  '*  We  will  go  to  la  Vendee.  I  have  sent 
messengers  to  prepare  Nantes,  Rennes  and  Lyons  for 
my  coming,  and  I  will  not  stop  them." 

It  was  impossible  to  obtain  horses  or  carriages,  so 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  set  off  on  foot,  accompanied 
by  Marechal  de  Bourmont  and  M.  M.  de  Brissac 
Villeneuve,  Mesnard  and  Auguste  Bonrecueil.  The 
latter  was  a  most  devoted  adherent  of  the  Duchesse, 
and  lost  his  life  fighting  for  her  cause  at  the  battle  of  La 
Chene.  They  went  to  the  house  of  Baron  de  Charette. 
He  belonged  to  an  illustrious  Vend^an  family  and 
had  married  the  Comtesse  de  Vierzon,  daughter  of 
the  Due  de  Berry  and  Amy  Brown.  The  Duchesse 
de  Berry  continued  her  progress  disguised  as  a  peasant 
boy  and  was  called  "  Petit  Pierre,"  for  Louis  Philippe 
had  sent  troops  to  stop  her  proceedings.  Her  ex- 
pedition was  not  entirely  a  wild-goose  chase ;  many 

217 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Vendeans  responded  to  her  appeal,  for  the  nobles  had 
been  drilling  the  peasants  and  had  laid  up  stores  of 
ammunition.  The  celebrated  Orator  Berryer  had 
previously  traversed  la  Vendee  and  had  said  :  "  With 
such  a  people  everything  is  possible  ". 

A  member  of  the  Royalist  Committee  in  Paris  did 
not  take  her  seriously,  and  said  :  "  If  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry  is  not  allowed  to  go  on,  she  will  die  of  grief ; 
but  Walter  Scott  ought  to  be  hung,  it  is  all  his  fault ". 

Berryer  was  sent  to  tell  her  that  her  efforts  were 
useless,  her  cause  hopeless.  The  interview  took  place 
at  midnight;  she  received  him  in  a  barn,  seated  on 
a,  wooden  bedstead.  Her  eloquence  won  his  heart, 
and  he  said  :  "  There  is  stuff  in  her  enough  for  twenty 
kings  ". 

He  thought  he  had  persuaded  her  to  retire  to 
England,  but  was  mistaken.  She  had  real  hardships 
to  endure,  but  was  always  cheerful  and  undaunted. 

Everything  had  been  arranged  for  a  general  rising 
throughout  la  Vendee  on  Sunday,  3rd  June,  1832. 
Sunday  was  chosen  because  the  assembling  of 
peasants,  as  if  for  church,  would  excite  no  notice, 
but  two  days  previously  the  letters  and  papers  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  which  were  hidden  in  a  cave 
at  Charli^re,  fell  into  the  hands  of  Louis  Philippe's 
gendarmes,  and  from  that  moment  all  chance  of 
success  was  over.  Louis  Philippe's  regulars  found 
little  difficulty  in  dispersing  the  Vendean  troops  ;  only 
one  important  battle  took  place,  at  La  Chene,  when 
Charette's  army  showed  great  gallantry,  as  did  the 
defenders  of  the  castle  at  la  P^nissi^re. 

218 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  obliged  to  go  into 
hiding,  and  found  shelter  in  the  house  of  the  two 
Miles,  de  Guigny,  at  Nantes.  She  lived  in  their 
attic  for  five  months,  during  which  time  she  con- 
tinued to  correspond  with  Legitimists  in  different 
parts,  by  means  of  twenty-five  ciphers.  The  Duchesse 
de  Berry  had  the  faculty  of  winning  the  devotion  of 
all  who  approached  her,  and  of  this  she  received 
many  proofs  while  at  Nantes  ;  but  there  was  a  Judas 
among  her  followers — a  German  Jew  named  Deutz 
was  her  betrayer.  He  had  become  converted  to 
Catholicism,  and  was  received  into  the  service  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  on  the  recommendation  of 
the  Pope,  and  had  taken  a  solemn  oath  to  devote 
himself  to  her  and  the  Legitimist  Cause.  She  had 
sent  him  to  Lisbon  and  to  Madrid  with  despatches. 
When  he  returned  to  France  he  heard  that  the 
Vend^an  Insurrection  was  over,  the  cause  lost  and 
the  Duchesse  de  Berry  in  hiding.  So  Deutz  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  betraying  her  to  Louis  Philippe's 
Minister,  Thiers,  who  promised  him  500,000  francs 
if  he  delivered  her  up.  He  went  to  Nantes  under 
the  name  of  Gonzagues,  and  made  himself  known 
to  the  Legitimists,  making  inquiries  as  to  the  where- 
abouts of  the  Duchess,  who  soon  heard  of  this.  She 
said :  '*  Show  him  this  half  of  a  card ;  if  he  has 
the  other  half  it  is  Deutz  ". 

He  had  the  other  half,  and  the  Duchess  agreed 
to  receive  him.  Her  friends  mistrusted  him,  and 
persuaded  her  not  to  receive  him  in  her  attic,  but 
in  a  neighbouring  house  to  which   she  had  access. 

219 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Deutz  came  in  very  nervous  and  embarrassed,  and 
threw  himself  at  her  feet,  swearing  devotion.  He 
pretended  that  her  sister,  the  Queen  of  Spain,  had 
promised  to  help  her,  and  to  send  money  and  troops. 
While  he  was  with  her,  the  Duchess  received  a  note 
saying  :  "  The  man  you  confide  in  has  betrayed  you 
to  Thiers  ". 

Smiling,  she  turned  to  Deutz  and  said :  "  Is  it 
you  ? " 

He  also  smiled  and  said  ;  *'  Possibly  ". 

Thiers  had  sent  orders  to  the  Commander  of  the 
Garrison  and  to  the  Prefect  of  Nantes  to  give  Deutz 
all  the  assistance  he  required.  The  same  evening, 
while  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  was  talking  to  Mile,  de 
Guigny  in  her  bedroom,  the  brother,  M.  de  Guigny, 
rushed  in  crying :  "  Fly,  Madame,  the  house  is  sur- 
rounded, and  the  street  lined  with  soldiers  ! "  It  had 
been  decided  long  before,  that,  should  there  be  any 
danger  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's  abode  being  dis- 
covered, and  she  herself  arrested,  she  should  hide 
in  a  secret  place,  which  was  entered  by  removing  a 
slab  from  the  fireplace  in  the  sitting-room. 

The  Duchess  had  to  crawl  in,  and  was  followed 
by  Mmes.  de  Mesnard  and  de  Guibourg,  and  Mile. 
Kersabiac. 

The  troops  commanded  by  General  Drouet  ran- 
sacked the  house.  From  their  hiding-place  the 
Duchess  and  her  friends  could  hear  the  voice  of 
Deutz  conducting  them. 

"  Thank  God  he  is  not  a  Frenchman ! "  said  the 
Duchess. 

220 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

All  the  houses  in  the  street  were  ransacked  and 
placed  under  guard  ;  no  one  was  allowed  to  go  in  or 
out.     Twelve  hundred  soldiers  were  employed. 

On  the  second  day  some  masons  employed  to 
search  for  holes  in  the  wall,  lit  a  fire.  The  con- 
cealed party  endured  it  till  they  were  nearly  stifled, 
and  the  Duchesse  de  Berry's  dress  caught  fire. 

They  must  either  die  or  surrender !  So  they 
made  their  presence  known.  The  slab  was  removed 
from  the  fireplace  and  out  came  a  little  woman  with 
an  uncovered  head,  dressed  in  a  brown  woollen  dress, 
smeared  with  ashes  and  having  a  burnt  arm.  One 
of  the  gendarmes  exclaimed :  "  Is  it  you,  Madame 
la  Duchesse  ? " 

She  replied :  "  Yes,  it  is  I.  You  are  Frenchmen 
and  soldiers,  I  trust  to  your  honour." 

The  men  were  profoundly  moved,  but  hearing 
voices,  the  Police  Commissioners  entered,  and  all 
hope  of  escape  was  lost.  The  Prefect,  M.  Duval, 
entered  with  his  hat  on.  He  just  put  a  finger  to 
his  hat  as  salutation,  and  then  said :  "  Yes,  'tis  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry". 

She  was  then  taken  to  the  Castle  of  Nantes ;  there 
every  one  admired  her  heroism  and  treated  her  with 
as  much  deference  as  if  she  had  been  at  the  Tuileries. 
The  following  day  she  was  taken  by  sea  to  the  Citadel 
of  Blaye. 

When  Deutz  went  to  the  house  of  the  Minister 
of  the  Interior  to  receive  the  price  of  his  treachery, 
Didier,  who  was  seated  at  a  table  on  which  were 
some  packets  of  gold,  would  not  allow  him  to  come 

221 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

near,  but  held  out  the  packets  of  money  at  the  end 
of  a  pair  of  tongs,  and  then  pointed  to  the  door. 

The  case  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  aroused  intense 
enthusiasm.  M.  de  Vilette,  the  Comte  de  la  Ferro- 
nays,  the  Dues  de  Fitzjames  and  de  Laval,  wrote  to 
Marshal  Soult,  President  of  the  Ministerial  Council, 
offering  themselves  as  hostages  that  she  might  be  set 
free.  The  Comte  de  Montalembert-Esse  offered  him- 
self and  his  whole  family  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  Marquise  de  Valori,  and  Marechale  Oudinot^ 
Duchesse  de  Reggio,  begged  to  be  allowed  to  share 
her  captivity  ;  the  latter  had  been  her  lady-in-waiting. 
Some  Parisian  ladies,  headed  by  the  Princesse  de 
Bauffremont,  sent  her  a  trousseau,  and  a  Parisian  book- 
seller a  collection  of  delightful  books.  Many  Legiti- 
mists came  to  Blaye,  but  were  not  allowed  to  see  her. 
The  Royalists  in  Paris  went  into  mourning,  gave  no 
balls,  and  got  up  a  subscription  for  Marie  Bossy, 
the  Guignys'  servant,  who  had  refused  a  large  bribe 
offered  to  induce  her  to  betray  the  Duchess,  and 
asked  to  be  allowed  to  serve  her  in  prison. 

The  newspapers  published  a  letter  headed  "A 
voice  from  the  tomb,"  and  said  to  be  written  by  the 
late  King  of  Naples  to  Louis  Philippe.  It  ran  :  **  To 
my  brother-in-law.  My  daughter,  your  niece,  is  in 
prison.  A  Princess  of  Naples,  the  kingdom  which 
received  you  when  you  were  a  wanderer  and  fugitive, 
is  now  your  captive  !  "  etc.,  etc.  Chateaubriand  wrote 
to  ask  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  appoint  him  her 
counsel,  if  she  were  brought  to  trial.  But  Guizot 
said  :  "  It  is  not  well  to  bring  royalty  to  trial.     Ac- 

222 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

quitted,  they  are  conquerors ;  condemned,  they  excite 
sympathy  as  victims."  Louis  Philippe  said:  "  No  one 
could  wish  to  bring  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  to  trial. 
Princes  are  inconvenient  in  prison  ;  people  conspire 
to  free  them,  and  they  excite  more  sympathy  than 
they  would  if  free."  Why  then  did  Louis  Philippe 
give  the  orders  for  the  arrest  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry,  and  why  did  he  allow  her  to  be  detained  at 
Blaye  ? 

Because  the  state  of  her  health  made  it  necessary 
for  her  to  announce  that  a  private  marriage  had  taken 
place  between  her  and  the  Marchese  Lucchesi  Palli, 
in  Italy.  She  had  sent  him  with  her  manifestoes  to 
la  Vendue,  and  he  had  visited  her  there. 

Louis  Philippe  was  persuaded  by  his  advisers  to 
retain  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  at  Blaye,  and  to  give 
great  publicity  to  the  birth  of  her  expected  child/  as 
the  effect  of  her  marriage  would  be  to  entirely  destroy 
her  influence  with  the  Legitimist  party,  and  she 
would  cease  to  be  a  political  power  to  be  reckoned 
with. 

Louis  Philippe  has  been  greatly  blamed  for  his 
treatment  of  the  Duchesse  de  Berry,  for  publishing 
to  the  world  the  weakness  of  a  woman,  and  making 
capital  of  it  for  political  ends. 

While  imprisoned  at  Blaye  the  Duchesse  de  Berry 
wrote  to  Marie  Amelie  to  intercede  for  the  life  of 
one  of  her  adherents.  She  said ;  "  In  spite  of  the 
difference   in   our    present    situations,    a   volcano   is 

^  Before  the  announcement  of  the  marriage  many  infamous 
reports  concerning  her  were  circulated. 

223 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

beneath  you.  God  knows  what  may  be  the  fate  of 
either  of  us,  but  some  day  you  may  thank  me  for 
having  confided  in  you,  and  given  you  an  opportunity 
of  earning  the  gratitude  of  my  unfortunate  friends. 

"  I  wish  you  happiness,  Madame,  for  I  have  too 
high  an  opinion  of  you  to  believe  that  you  can  be 
happy  in  your  present  position." 

Marie  Amelie  refused  to  receive  this  letter,  and 
when  M.  de  Mesnard  went  to  see  her  and  begged 
her  to  use  her  influence  to  get  permission  for  him  to 
go  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berry  at  Blaye,  she  promised 
nothing ;  but  M.  de  Mesnard  afterwards  said :  "  I 
cannot  but  believe  that  the  Queen  is  sincerely  grieved 
at  her  niece's  position,  but  I  hear  she  has  little  or  no 
influence  in  State  affairs." 

M.  de  Mesnard  and  the  Miles,  de  Guigny  had 
been  imprisoned  for  a  time,  and  condemned  to  pay 
a  heavy  fine  for  conspiring  against  the  Government. 
But  the  fine  was  remitted,  and  they  were  released 
before  the  expiration  of  their  sentence. 

After  recovering  from  her  accouchement,  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry  was  allowed  to  leave  Blaye  and 
to  go  to  Sicily,  where  she  was  met  by  her  husband, 
Lucchesi  Palli,  and  received  with  royal  honours  by 
her  brother  Leopold,  Comte  de  Syracuse,  and  a 
country  house  was  allotted  to  her  as  a  residence. 
The  little  daughter  born  to  her  at  Blaye  did  not  live 
a  year,  and  was  buried  in  the  Lucchesi  Palli  tomb 
at  Palermo. 

The  Marchese  Lucchesi  Palli  was  a  very  hand- 
some man,  ten  years  younger  than  the  Duchesse  de 

224 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Berry,  who  was  thirty-four.  She  treated  him  as  her 
husband,  the  Court  of  Naples  treated  him  as  lier 
chamberlain. 

He  himself  always  treated  her  as  Queen,  taking 
her  orders  for  the  day,  and  speaking  to  her  in  the 
third  person.  He  was  a  clever,  amusing  man,  ex- 
cellent company  and  full  of  tact.  He  made  himself 
thoroughly  French,  and  was  well  versed  in  the  history 
of  France,  and  of  the  pedigrees  and  traditions  of 
the  French  nobility.  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  was 
thoroughly  devoted  to  him,  and  bore  him  two 
daughters   and   a   son. 

The  Duchesse  de  Berry  never  hung  her  head. 
She  said  :  "  Only  failure  is  blamable  ;  had  my  enter- 
prise succeeded,  I  should  have  been  acclaimed  as  a 
heroine".  She  had  intended  keeping  her  marriage 
secret  till  her  son  was  of  age.^ 

Charles  X.  was  greatly  incensed  at  her  marriage, 
but  the  saintly  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  took  her  part, 
and  finally  succeeded  in  appeasing  the  anger  of  her 
uncle,  and  getting  him  to  receive  the  Duchesse  de 
Berry. 

The  Comte  de  Chambord  married  the  daughter  of 
the  Due  de  Modena,  but  had  no  children. 

^  The  Duchesse  de  Berry  always  spoke  very  bitterly  of  all  the 
d'0rl6ans  family  except  Louise,  who  married  the  King  of  the 
Belgians.     Louise,  she  said,  was  a  saint. 


225  15 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Louis  Philippe  as  Statesman — The  Admiration  of  his  Ministers — 
The  Great  Benefits  he  Conferred  on  France — The  Charities 
of  Marie  Am6lie — Marie  Am61ie's  Distinguished  Sons — Her 
Letters  to  them — The  Marriages  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  and 
Due  de  Nemours — Bravery  of  the  whole  d'Orleans  Family — 
Attempts  on  Life  of  Louis  Philippe. 

For  a  long  time  great  prejudice  was  felt  against 
Louis  Philippe  throughout  Europe,  and  great  sym- 
pathy with  Charles  X.     This  feeling  was  universal. 

At  the  Court  of  Austria  the  French  Ambassador 
expressed  to  an  Austrian  Countess  his  admiration 
of  her  tiara.     "  Quelle  belle  couronne,"  he  said. 

She  replied  :  "  Au  moins  elle  n'est  pas  volee  ". 

By  degrees,  however,  it  was  recognised  that  if  he 
had  obtained  the  crown  by  questionable  methods,  he 
was  making  good  use  of  his  power.  He  himself  said  : 
"  In  accepting  the  crown  I  entered  the  lists  to  com- 
bat the  forces  of  anarchy.  The  anarchists  had  nothing 
to  lose :  I  staked  my  life  and  fortune,  and  that  of  my 
family." 

A  passage  in  the  Lettre  Parisienne  of  the  day, 
says :  "  It  is  sad  to  see  kings  exiled,  guillotined  and 
assassinated  by  the  misunderstanding  of  the  populace. 
Formerly,  if  any  one  displeased  a  king,  the  king  sent 

226 


'1^'-^ 


fi" 


\fS 


Louis  Philippe,  King  of  the  French 


To  face  p.  226 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

liim  to  the  Bastille.  Now,  if  ca  king  displeases  the 
people,  they  send  him  to  exile."  ^ 

The  life  of  Louis  Philippe  at  the  Tuileries  was 
one  of  hard  work,  not  of  representation.  Yet  though 
he  has  been  called  bourgeois,  he  held  a  more  splendid 
Court  than  that  of  any  European  monarch  of  the  day. 
Carriages,  horses,  liveried  servants  were  superb ; 
Jttes,  magnificent  and  more  numerous  than  in  former 
reigns ;  in  the  interior  of  his  palace  he  met  with 
nothing  but  deference  and  empressement  to  foresee 
and  execute  his  wishes. 

He  did  not  like  having  to  allow  himself  to  be  treated 
as  a  comrade  by  the  National  Guard,  or  accepting 
glasses  of  wine  from  passers  by,  as  he  was  forced  to 
do  for  a  time,  but  he  was  at  heart  a  grand  seigneur  by 
hereditary  tastes  and  instincts,  though  he  was  bour- 
geois, if  it  is  "  bourgeois  "  to  be  a  faithful  husband  and 
good  father,  simple  in  life  and  affable  in  manners. 
Marie  Amelie,  too,  thought  a  king's  Court  should 
not  resemble  a  Revolutionary  Club ;  a  sovereign 
should  be  treated  by  his  subjects  with  as  much 
deference  as  a  father  by  his  sons,  and  that  certain 
concessions  weaken,  and  that  dignity  is  necessary 
to  those  who  govern,  and  an  air  of  authority  in- 
dispensable. So  though  etiquette  was  simplified,  life 
at  the  Tuileries   was   gradually  regulated   on  royal 

^  In  the  nineteenth  century  four  infants  were  at  their  birth 
acclaimed  with  joy  as  a  gauge  of  the  stability  of  their  dynasties. 
All  met  the  same  fate — died  in  exile  without  reigning.  They  were 
the  King  of  Eome,  the  Due  de  Bordeaux,  the  Comte  de  Paris  and 
the  Prince  Imperial. 

227 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

lines,  and  King  and  Queen  each  had  their  separate 
establishment,  officers  of  household,  aide-de-camp, 
ladies  in  waiting,  etc.,  as  did  each  of  the  Princes  and 
Princesses. 

Louis  XVIII.  and  Charles  X.  had  left  the  royal 
Palaces,  Fontainebleau  and  Versailles,  in  a  very  dil- 
apidated state.  It  was  the  pride  and  pleasure  of 
Louis  Philippe  to  restore  them.  He  practically  pre- 
sented Versailles  to  the  nation,  in  establishing  the 
Musee  in  that  Palace,  and  on  the  opening  day  2,000 
people,  members  of  all  the  liberal  professions,  were 
entertained  by  the  King,  at  a  dinner  of  royal  mag- 
nificence. 

The  restoration  of  Versailles,  and  the  turning  of 
it  into  a  National  Museum,  and  collecting  there 
paintings  of  all  the  great  scenes  and  persons  of  the 
history  of  France,  even  of  the  Bonapartist  era,  was 
the  great  work  of  his  reign.  Although  he  has  been 
accused  of  avarice,  the  Provisionary  Government, 
after  the  Pe volution  of  1848,  which  had  in  its  hands 
the  documents  relating  to  the  Civil  List  and  the 
private  fortune  of  Louis  Philippe,  found  that  he  had 
spent  48,000,000  francs  for  the  nation  in  restoring 
Versailles  and  Fontainebleau,  and  other  acts  of  public 
munificence,  including  21,000,000  francs  given  directly 
in  charity. 

If  the  circumstances  under  which  he  ascended  the 
throne  are  questionable,  yet  there  was  never  a  better 
king.  Emile  Ollivier  said  :  *'  Louis  Philippe  was  cer- 
tainly the  first  statesman  of  the  day.  He  had  the 
most  valuable  and  diverse  qualities,  experience,  culti- 

228 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

vation,  vast  stores  of  knowledge,  wit,  probity,  cour- 
age, humanity  and  personal  attractiveness."  ^ 

After  a  hard  day's  work,  holding  his  own  against 
the  diplomacy  of  all  Europe,  Louis  Philippe  would 
often  spend  the  evening  going  over  criminal  cases, 
hoping  to  find  a  reason  for  saving  a  condemned  man 
from  execution.  He  would  fight  his  chancellor  and 
the  lawyers  most  obstinately,  step  by  step,  and  he 
suffered  anguish  if  he  was  at  last  obliged  to  give  up 
the  case,  and  sign  the  order  for  execution. 

On  reading  newspapers  that  urged  his  assassina- 
tion, he  would  merely  say  :  "  Every  one  must  live  ". 

When  Meunier  made  an  attempt  on  the  King's 
life,  the  mother  came  and  asked  the  King  to  pardon 
him.  Louis  Philippe  replied  :  ''  He  has  repented  ;  I 
have  already  forgiven  him  ". 

The  life  of  the  Queen  was  also  a  very  busy  one. 
She  rose  early,  and  after  the  toilet  would  open  her 
large  correspondence.  She  heard  Mass  every  day, 
and  after  the  family  breakfast  at  ten  o'clock,  used 
to  sit  and  work  with  her  daughters  and  daughters- 
in-law  till  twelve  o'clock,  which  was  the  hour  for 
special  audiences.  When  they  were  over  she  would 
work  with  her  secretaries.  Every  day  the  menu  for 
dinner  was  submitted  to  her ;  she  allotted  the  royal 
boxes  at  the  theatre  to  friends,  and  settled  the 
number  of  carriages  and  horses  to  be  kept  for  the 
whole  family  and  the  household.  But  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  of  herself  and  her  secretaries  was 

1  Another  of  his  Ministers,  Victor  Cousin,  said :  "  II  est  notre 
maitre,  k  tous". 

229 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

occupied  by  attending  to  petitions  and  charitable 
matters. 

The  secretaries  had  plenty  to  do  in  reading  and 
classifying  petitions,  and  then  deciding  how  much 
was  to  be  given  to  the  favoured  applicants.  Marie 
Amelie  insisted  on  reading  every  petition  herself,  and 
wrote  her  instructions  and  comments  on  the  margin, 
begging  M.  Appert^  to  attend  to  the  case. 

He  says  :  "  I  saw  her  every  day  but  never  with- 
out being  affected  by  her  perfections  and  holiness. 
Neither  the  religion  nor  politics  of  the  applicant 
was  considered,  only  misery.  If  there  was  an  in- 
surrection, and  cries  and  threats  were  heard  under 
the  windows,  she  would  say  ;  '  Help  as  many  of  these 
miserable  people  as  you  can.  Bread  is  dear,  trade 
bad.  Seeing  a  wife  and  children  starve  is  enough 
to  turn  a  man's  head.  They  do  much  that  is  wrong, 
but  they  are  excusable.  I  am  comfortable  in  these 
warm  rooms,  but  wretched  when  I  think  of  so  many 
people  in  the  city  suffering  from  cold  and  hunger. 
To  give  is  my  only  pleasure  in  the  midst  of  all  our 
troubles.  He  who  invented  the  saying  :  '  Happy  as 
a  king,'  had  never  worn  a  crown.' " 

Marie  Amelie's  private  income  amounted  to 
500,000   francs,    but   she   gave   400,000   in   alms. 

A  person  who  was  very  poor  was  advised  to 
apply  to  the  Queen  for  help.  She  refused,  saying: 
"  We  are  Bonapartists.  Whenever  I  opened  the 
gate  to  Josephine  she  nodded  her  thanks,  and  the 
Emperor  would  say  :  '  Bon  jour,  grosse  vilaine '.    Can 

^  Her  secretary. 
230 


.Windsor  Castle 


Queen  Marie  Amelie 


Winterlmlter 
To  face  p.  230 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

one  forget  such  benefits  ?  "  The  woman  had  been 
concierge  at  Malmaison,  and  was  very  stout  and  ugly. 

Another  Bonapartist  wrote  as  follows  to  Marie 
Amelie  :  "  Madame.  If  the  Bourbons,  to  the  sorrow 
of  France,  had  not  returned,  my  beloved  protectress, 
the  Empress  Marie  Louise,  would  be  on  the  throne, 
and  I  should  not  be  in  the  humiliating  position  of 
having  to  tell  you  that  I  have  nothing  to  eat,  and 
that  the  pallet  on  which  I  sleep  will  be  thrown  out 
of  the  shed  that  is  my  abode,  because  I  have  not 
paid  rent  for  a  year.  I  dare  not  ask  help  from  you, 
because  I  feel  such  great  sorrow  for  the  removal  of 
my  true  sovereign  that  I  cannot  even  promise  grati- 
tude. If  you  do  not  think  it  right  to  let  me  die  in 
want,  I  will  accept  a  loan,  but  a  gift  would  make  me 
blush." 

On  this  petition  the  Queen  wrote :  "  Special. 
Needs  immediate  assistance.  She  must  be  very 
miserable  to  be  so  unjust.  Give  her  100  francs 
from  me.  Inquire  into  her  position  and  report  to 
me." 

M.  Appert  inquired  and  found  the  case  deserving 
of  help.  So,  besides  the  Queen's  donation,  he  got 
a  subscription  from  each  of  the  Princes,  and  put  the 
family  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

It  may  well  be  asked  if  the  Republicans  ever  did 
so  much  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  as  the  Royalties 
they  were  so  anxious  to  overthrow.  The  liberals 
were  infuriated  against  the  aristocracy  that  would 
not  admit  them  into  its  ranks,  and  wished  to  over- 
throw it  and  constitute  a  new  aristocracy  themselves. 

231 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Was  it  the  true  spirit  of  democracy,  the  real  desire 
for  equality,  that  drove  them  into  revolution  ?  No, 
it  was  self  interest.  Did  they  treat  those  beneath 
them,  their  servants,  employees,  tradesmen,  more 
politely  and  considerately  than  did  the  old  nobility  ? 
After  their  triumph  did  they  show  themselves  more 
benevolent,  just  and  humane  than  the  old  nobility 
or  royal  personages  ?  Emphatically,  let  it  be  said, 
they  did  not. 

Marie  Amelie  had  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  sons. 
Lamartine,  the  most  determined  opponent  of  Louis 
Philippe,  and  finally  the  cause  of  the  fall  of  the 
Orleans  dynasty,  does  justice  to  the  family  of  Louis 
Philippe.  He  says :  "  The  sons  would  have  been 
eminent  as  citizens,  if  they  had  not  been  Princes ; 
among  the  Princesses  all  desirable  qualities  were  to 
be  found  :  each  was  either  pious,  beautiful,  cultivated, 
venerated  or  admired  ". 

The  sons  certainly  served  a  stiff  apprenticeship 
to  the  duties  of  their  station.  They  reviewed  troops, 
commanded  at  manoeuvres,  presided  at  fetes  or  coun- 
cils, made  journeys  for  political  purposes,  conducted 
diplomatic  negotiations,  fought  wherever  the  French 
army  was  engaged  on  land  or  sea,^  marched  against 
insurrectionists,"  and  when  an  attempt  on  the  King's 
life  was  expected,  never  failed  to  be  there. 

When  Fieschi's  infernal  machine  exploded  and 
killed  forty  people  at  a  review  of  the  National  Guard, 

1  The  Prince  de  Joinville  distinguished  hinaself  in  the  navy. 
-  The  Dues  d'0rl6ans  and  Nenaours  were  sent  to  put  down  the 
terrible  insurrection  at  Lyons,  1834. 

232 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

at  Paris,  1834,  three  of  the  Princes  were  with  their 
father.  They,  as  well  as  the  King,  had  been  fore- 
warned by  M.  Thiers  that  an  attempt  on  the  King's 
life  was  feared.  They  thanked  him,  but  only  replied  : 
"  We  shall  be  there  ". 

The  ladies  of  the  family  had  the  same  high  quality 
of  courage ;  they  thought  their  husbands,  brothers  or 
sons  must  face  peril  as  if  they  were  going  to  a  royal 
function. 

Marie  Amelie  and  Mme.  Adelaide,  though  fear- 
ing, as  they  watched  the  King's  departure,  that  they 
might  never  see  him  again,  made  no  effort  to  detain 
him. 

The  machine  exploded  as  the  royal  procession 
was  passing  through  the  Boulevard  du  Temple.  The 
King  said  to  the  son  who  was  nearest  to  him  :  "  Join- 
ville,  that's  for  me  ".  Their  horses  were  struck,  their 
clothes  spattered  with  blood.  Forty  of  those  around 
lost  their  hves.  In  the  midst  of  the  uproar  the 
King  was  quite  composed ;  when  the  smoke  had 
cleared  away  he  said  :  "  Now,  gentlemen,  let  us  pro- 
ceed," and  went  through  the  day's  programme  un- 
moved. However,  he  broke  down  when  he  got  back 
to  the  Queen,  chiefly  through  grief  at  the  valuable 
lives  lost.  The  Queen  at  once  accompanied  him  to 
condole  with  the  widow  of  one  of  the  victims,  Mar- 
shal Mortier,  Due  de  Treviso,  and  all  the  royal  family 
attended  the  solemn  obsequies  of  the  victims,  on  28th 
July. 

In  the  same  year  the  Due  de  Nemours  was  sent 
to    London   to    show    himself.      In    the*  Courts   of 

233 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Europe  it  was  the  fashion  to  turn  into  ridicule  "  the 
bourgeois  Monarchy"  of  France.  These  prejudices 
had  to  be  dispelled.  No  two  persons  were  better 
qualified  for  this  than  Marie  Amelie's  two  eldest  sons. 
Both  were  tall  and  of  most  distinguished  appearance, 
and  had  polished  manners.  The  Due  d'Orleans  was 
a  charmer,  and  the  Due  de  Nemours  the  living  re- 
production of  the  portraits  of  his  great  ancestor, 
Henri  Quatre.  Two  less  bourgeois-like  or  middle- 
class  young  men  could  not  be  found.  ^ 

At  that  time  William  IV.  was  on  the  Throne  of 
England,  and  he  invited  the  Due  de  Nemours  to 
stay  at  Windsor  Castle  ;  the  royal  dukes  also  invited 
him  to  visit  them.  Nemours  wrote  to  his  mother  : 
"  I  was  received  everywhere  a  merveille,  petted  and 
feted  ad  lib.  I  visited  the  Duchess  of  Kent  and 
Princess  Victoria  at  Kensington  Palace ;  the  latter 
is  small  but  has  beautiful  eves. 

His  mother  replied :  "  Lord  Palmerston  has 
written  in  your  praise,  and  I  have  received  charm- 
ing letters  about  you  from  the  Duchess  of  Kent  and 
Princess  Victoria". 

In  April  of  the  following  year,  the  Due  de 
Nemours  accompanied  his  elder  brother  on  a  tour 
in  Germany  and  Austria,  which  had  a  twofold  object : 
the  making  of  themselves  known  at  the  Courts  of 
these  countries,  and  also  the  obtaining  of  a  bride  for 
the  Due  d'Orleans.      It  was  hoped  that  an  alliance 

^Comtesse  de  Mirabeau  says:  "The  two  eldest  sons  of  the 
King,  mounted  on  prancing  horses,  and  with  the  sun  gUttering  on 
their  accoutreOaents,  looked  like  veritable  fairy  princes  ". 

234 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

with  an  Austrian  archduchess  might  be  obtained. 
The  Princes  were  plentifully  supplied  with  money 
to  support  their  rank,  and  their  suite  consisted  of 
the  Dues  de  Valencay  and  d'Elchingen,  and  three 
other  noblemen.  They  went  first  to  Berlin,  where 
they  were  received  at  Court  with  every  possible  mark 
of  consideration,  and  the  Berlin  newspapers  of  the 
day  say  that :  "  All  who  had  the  honour  to  approach 
the  French  Princes  cannot  speak  highly  enough  of 
their  extreme  distinction.  Their  conversation  is  de- 
lightful, their  tact  exquisite.  Their  liberality  to  all 
who  have  had  the  honour  of  serving  them  has  been 
on  a  splendid  scale." 

The  same  splendid  reception  was  given  and  the 
same  verdict  passed  at  Vienna.  Prince  Metternich 
said  :  "  Their  success  was  remarkable,  they  were  pro- 
nounced perfect  types  of  well  bred,  well  educated 
young  men  ;  very  few  like  them  are  to  be  met,  either 
in  royal  houses  or  less  elevated  ranks  of  society. 
They  put  to  silence  those  most  prejudiced  against 
them.  Their  appearance,  the  tact  evinced  on  all 
occasions,  their  ease  of  manner,  equally  removed 
from  presumption  as  from  shyness,  were  universally 
acknowledged  and  admired.  The  journey  of  these 
young  Princes  was  a  good  political  move  for  their 
father." 

But  though  their  personal  success  was  so  great, 
the  desired  alliance  was  not  arranged,  the  Due  d'Or- 
leans  did  not  obtain  an  Austrian  bride.  The  Emperor 
was  still  prejudiced  against  the  French  nation,  and 
the  ladies  of  the  family  remembered  Marie  Antoinette 

235 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  Marie  Louise,  and  had  little  inclination  to  run 
the  risks  of  a  similar  fate. 

The  two  Princes  returned  to  Paris  loaded  with 
splendid  gifts  and  feeling  that  they  had  made 
many  private  friends.  The  Austrian  Emperor  had 
given  them  each  a  splendid  horse  as  a  farewell 
present. 

Subsequently  a  marriage  was  arranged  between 
the  Due  d'Orleans  and  Princess  Helene  of  Meck- 
lenburg Schwerin,  and  took  place  at  Fontainebleau^ 
1837. 

On  this  occasion  the  Due  de  Nemours  behaved 
with  great  generosity.  A  heated  debate  had  taken 
place  in  the  French  Chamber,  when  the  King  had 
asked  for  a  dowry  for  his  eldest  daughter,  who  was 
about  to  marry  the  King  of  the  Belgians.  The  pro- 
duction of  Louis  Philippe's  rent  roll,  and  a  complete 
statement  of  his  income,  was  called  for.^ 

When  a  grant  was  applied  for  for  the  Due  d'Or- 
leans' own  marriage,  the  same  opposition  was  en- 
countered, and  the  Due  de  Nemours  agreed  to  waive 
his  own  claim  to  an  appanage,  on  condition  that  the 
Legislature  made  proper  provision  for  the  heir  to  the 
Throne. 

In  spite  of  these  difficulties  the  populace  gave 
the  bride  a  splendid  reception  when  she  made  her 

^  Louis  Philippe  felt  this  deeply.  He  said :  "I  have  no  mis- 
tress or  favourite  on  which  to  spend  the  people's  money,  but 
I  wish  to  assure  my  children's  future".  He  had  refused  to  attach 
his  wealth  to  the  Throne,  and  settled  it  on  his  family,  only 
drawing  the  income  himself. 

236 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

entrance  into  Paris,  followed  by  the  Princes  on 
horseback,  and  the  Princesses  in  splendid  carriages. 
She  was  not  pretty,  but  young  and  graceful.  Her 
dresses  were  wonderful ;  Palmyre,  the  celebrated 
dressmaker,  having  had  orders  to  make  them  differ- 
ent from  any  that  had  been  seen  before. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  was  personally  popular  ;  he  was 
brave  to  temerity,  but  had  other  solid  qualities  which 
made  him  the  hope  of  the  royal  family  and  the  nation. 
An  immense  concourse  acclaimed  him  and  his  bride  as 
they  entered  the  Champs  Elysee. 

Mile,  de  Girardin,  describing  the  cortege,  says  : 
"  The  Queen,  Marie  Amelie,  was  exquisitely  dressed. 
Her  blue  capote  was  ravishing.  The  bride  looked 
very  young.  Her  hat  was  very  pretty ;  it  was  made 
of  white  rice  straw,  with  a  large  marabout  plume. 
Her  dress  was  very  elegant ;  she  wore  a  redingote  of 
muslin,  lined  with  pink." 

In  honour  of  the  wedding  a  splendid  fete  was 
given  at  Versailles  on  10th  June.  A  banquet  was 
prepared  for  1,500  guests,  who  were  waited  on 
by  2,000  servants,  wearing  the  splendid  d'Orleans 
livery.  The  evening  ended  with  a  ballet,  represent- 
ing Versailles  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Louis  XIV., 
and  one  of  those  wonderful  court  pageants  of 
the  time,  when  the  King  himself  danced  in  the 
ballet. 

Next  day  a  horrible  accident  happened  at  a 
review,  during  the  storming  of  a  sham  fort,  and 
many  people  were  crushed  to  death.  This  made  a 
painful  impression  on  the  bride,  who  looked  on  it 

237 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

as  a  bad  omen  for  her  married  life.^  The  Duchess© 
d'Orleans  was  a  noble  character,  and  her  husband 
became  devoted  to  her.  The  Queen  regretted  that 
her  daughter-in-law  was  a  Protestant,  but  soon  be- 
came very  fond  of  her.  When  the  following  year  the 
young  Duchess  gave  birth  to  a  son,  on  whom  Louis 
Philippe  bestowed  the  title  of  Comte  de  Paris,  and 
when  the  year  after  another  son,  the  Due  de  Chartres, 
was  born,  as  far  as  direct  heirs  were  concerned,  the 
continuance  of  the  d'Orleans  dynasty  appeared  well 
provided  for. 

The  dignitaries  of  the  Catholic  Church  had  for  a 
long  time  refused  to  recognise  the  July  Monarchy, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  death  of  the  implacable  Mon- 
seigneur  Quelen  occurred,  that  a  royal  christening 
could  be  arranged  for  the  Comte  de  Paris.  The  new 
Archbishop,  Mgr.  Affre,  held  different  views,  and  the 
ceremony  was  performed  by  him  with  all  due  pomp. 
This  was  the  public  recognition  by  the  clergy  of  the 
d'Orleans  dynasty,  and  a  great  joy  to  a  devoted  Cath- 
olic, such  as  Marie  Amelie  was. 

His  aunt,  Mile.  Adelaide,  helped  to  provide  the 

Due  d'Orleans  with  funds  to  support  his  position  as 

heir  to  the  Throne,  and  he  gave  magnificent  balls  and 

fetes  at  the  Pavilion  de  Marsan.      He  also  kept  a  fine 

hunting  establishment,  and  delighted  in  asking  dis- 

^  A  much  worse  accident  and  greater  loss  of  life  had  occurred 
at  the  marriage  fetes  of  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  Antoinette,  also  at 
that  of  the  present  Emperor  of  Russia.  Fresh  in  all  memories, 
too,  is  the  attempt  on  the  life  of  the  present  King  and  Queen  of 
Spain  on  their  wedding  day. 

238 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAIUE  AMELIE 

tinguished  visitors,  especially  the  English,  to  share 
his  sport. 

The  hunting  costume  was  dark  blue,  with  a  red 
collar  and  silver  buttons,  which  he  would  present  to 
any  favoured  visitor,  such  as  Lord  Malmesbury,  who 
relates  in  his  Memoirs  that  after  a  good  day's  sport, 
when  the  stag  led  them  from  Chantilly  to  Beauvais, 
the  Due  d'Orleans,  besides  the  buttons,  gave  him  also 
a  stag's  foot,  which  he  had  made  into  a  pen  rack. 

Though  it  sometimes  suited  Louis  Philippe  to 
play  the  bmi  bourgeois,  no  one  knew  better  how 
to  do  things  in  magnificent  style  when  occasion 
demanded  it.  The  splendour  of  the  marriage  fes- 
tivities had  a  great  effect  on  the  mind  of  the  people 
of  Paris,  and  ground  was  gained  politically.  The 
King  was  able  to  go  about  more  at  his  ease,  with- 
out expecting  to  be  shot  at. 

France  was  carrying  on  war  in  Algiers.  A  first 
campaign,  in  which  the  Due  de  Nemours  took  part, 
had  been  unsuccessful,  and  in  1835  it  became  neces- 
sary to  send  out  another  expedition. 

Marie  Amelie's  three  eldest  sons  claimed  the  right 
to  fight  for  their  country.  The  Due  d'Orleans  said  : 
*'  It  rests  with  us  to  restore  the  position  of  a  prince 
to  its  former  dignity  and  glory.  But  in  these  days, 
in  order  to  be  forgiven  for  being  a  prince,  it  is 
necessary  in  every  circumstance  to  do  more  than 
others." 

But,  to  his  great  chagrin,  the  Due  d'Orleans  could 
not  obtain  leave  to  join  the  expedition.  His  life  was 
too  valuable  to  be  risked.    Only  Nemours  was  allowed 

239 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

to  go,  and  he  showed  the  utmost  gallantry  at  the 
siege  of  Constantine,  which  was  of  long  duration, 
but  finally  the  French  troops  entered  the  city  and 
planted  the  tricolour  flag  on  the  citadel.  The  Prince 
de  Joinville  had,  without  permission,  left  his  ship 
at  Bona,  and  come  up  with  reinforcements,  grieved 
to  be  too  late  to  take  part  in  the  siege.  He  was  a 
clever  artist,  and  took  sketches  which  afterwards 
enabled  Horace  Vernet  to  give  an  exact  representa- 
tion of  Constantine,  in  the  picture  now  hanging  in 
the  Musee  de  Versailles. 

While  the   Queen  was  making   preparations  for 
the  marriage  of  her  second  daughter,  Princess  Marie, 
to  the  Prince  of  Wurtemberg,  she  was  in  incessant 
anxiety  as  to  the  fate  of   her  sons.     News  of   the 
taking  of  Constantine  reached  Paris  on  the  22nd  of 
June.     Here  is  the  Queen's  own  account  of  how  it 
was  received.     Writing  to  the  Due  de  Nemours  she 
said  :  "  I  received  Joinville's  letter  on  the  morning 
of  the  22nd.     It  delighted  me,  but  did  not  reassure 
me.     I  went  for  a  turn  in  the  park  at  Meudon,  with 
the   young  people ;  on   returning   I   went  to  Bene- 
diction at  the  beautiful  church  of  Notre  Dame  at 
Versailles.     I  felt  such  need  to  pray  for  you.     In  the 
evening  we   had  a  grand   dinner   for   Prince  Paul, 
and  afterwards   went   to   hear   '  II  Barbiere '  at  the 
Opera.     Yesterday  morning  was  devoted  to  prepara- 
tions for  Marie's  departure.     I   was  in   my  sitting- 
room   talking   to  Chartres,  the  other  young  people 
were  in  the  adjoining  room,  when  your  father  opened 
the  door  and  cried:  *  Taken  !   Constantine  is  taken  ! ' 

240 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

"  Every  one  rushed  in  and  surrounded  your  father. 
Then  for  two  hours  lasted  one  of  those  scenes  you 
know  so  well.  People  came  and  went,  embraced  each 
other,  copied  the  telegraphic  messages,  wrote  notes, 
sent  off  men  on  horseback  with  the  news.  The  cannon 
thundered  at  the  Invalides  as  well  as  Versailles. 
We  thanked  God,  but  the  accounts  of  the  horrors  of 
the  assault  and  the  death  of  the  general,  Damremont, 
cast  a  shadow  over  our  joy ;  also  I  must  confess  I 
was  possessed  by  the  fear  that  you  were  wounded, 
and  they  were  hiding  it  from  me.  At  eleven  o'clock 
we  all  went  to  the  cathedral  at  Versailles,  to  be 
present  at  the  singing  of  a  '  Te  Deum '.  The  Bishop 
gave  a  fine  address." 

The  d' Orleans  brothers  were  remarkably  united 
and  deeply  attached  to  one  another.  In  a  delight- 
ful letter  to  the  Due  de  Nemours,  the  Due  d'OrMans 
says  :  "  I  am  as  pleased  at  your  success  as  if  it  had 
been  my  own.  I  am  sure  that  if  you  and  Hadji  ^ 
bring  back  any  booty,  you  will  put  it  at  the  disposal 
of  the  mess  of  the  five  brothers,  of  whom  I  am  eldest. 
My  only  regret  is  for  the  death  of  the  general.  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  passed  on  to  him  my  ticket  for  the 
other  world." 

The  Due  d'Orleans  sincerely  loved  and  respected 
his  next  brother,  saying  of  him  :  "  Nemours  is  duty 
personified,"  and  if  Marie  Amelie  had  a  favourite 
among  her  sons,  it  was  Nemours.  He  and  his 
brother  Joinville  stayed  on  at  Constantine  for  a 
great  ceremony,  when  the  principal  Arab  chiefs  took 

^  The  name  by  which  Joinville  was  known  in  the  family. 

241  16 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

the  oath  of  fealty  to  the  French  king.  Afterwards, 
while  marching  to  the  coast,  the  French  troops  were 
attacked  with  cholera ;  both  Princes  did  all  they 
could  to  allay  panic,  by  themselves  assisting  to  lift 
the  dead  or  stricken  on  to  the  waggons.  On  reach- 
ing Bona,  the  brothers  parted  company,  Prince  de 
Joinville  rejoining  his  cruiser,  the  Hercules,  whose 
destiny  was  Brazil,  and  the  Due  de  Nemours  returning 
to  France. 

Toulon,  Marseilles,  Lyons  were  preparing  fHes 
in  his  honour,  but  the  Due  de  Nemours  was  of  a 
very  retiring  disposition,  and  fearing  that  he  would 
endeavour  to  avoid  them,  his  mother  wrote :  "  I 
write  with  your  father  in  begging  you  to  accept 
with  a  good  grace  the  demonstrations  that  are  being 
prepared  in  your  honour.  All  France  shares  in  the 
joy  at  your  success.  D'Aumale  was  at  Franconi's 
the  other  evening  when  the  siege  of  Constantine 
was  represented.  The  applause  was  immense  when 
the  figure  of  the  Due  de  Nemours  came  on  the  scene. 
Do  put  a  good  finish  on  all  you  have  done,  endure 
patiently  all  the  /Hes  that  are  being  prepared  for 
you.  Let  every  one  say :  '  The  Due  de  Nemours  is 
as  amiable  as  he  is  brave'." 

But  this  letter  did  not  reach  the  Duke  before 
he  left  Oran,  and  he  made  a  long  detour  to  avoid 
the  towns  that  were  preparing  to  welcome  him,  and 
finally  landed  at  Havre.  His  family  were  three  weeks 
without  news  of  him,  and  the  public  were  pacified 
by  being  told  that  ''contrary  winds  had  driven  him 
to  this  port ". 

242 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

His  mother  went  to  meet  him  at  Vernon.  He 
appeared  in  the  uniform  of  a  general,  to  which  rank 
he  had  been  promoted  in  recognition  of  his  services 
at  Constantine. 

The  Queen  went  down  to  his  cabin  and  had  a 
long  talk  with  him  ;  she  then  attended  mass  at  the 
cathedral,  and  afterwards  presented  her  son's  aide- 
de-camp,  General  Boyer,  with  the  insignia  of  the 
rank  to  which  he  too  had  been  promoted. 

A  little  event  that  was  much  talked  of  in  Paris 
took  place  a  few  months  later  at  the  Annual  Picture 
Exhibition.  The  King  remarked  and  admired  a  well- 
executed  picture  of  a  battle  scene  in  Africa.  The 
painter's  signature  was  unknown  to  him,  and  on  in- 
quiring, great  was  his  surprise  and  pleasure  to  find 
that  it  was  the  work  of  the  Due  de  Nemours. 

In  1840  the  Duke's  marriage  with  the  Princesse 
Victoire  of  Saxe-Cobourg  was  arranged.  They  had 
met  at  the  Court  of  his  sister,  the  Queen  of  the 
Belgians,  Princesse  Victoire  being  the  niece  of  King 
Leopold.^ 

Marie  Amelie  was  at  Brussels  while  the  negotia- 
tions were  going  on,  and  was  particularly  anxious 
for  the  marriage.  Princesse  Victoire  was  a  charm- 
ing character,  and  her  beauty  was  indisputable. 

The  French  Chamber  being  unwilling  to  make  a 
grant  to  the  Due  de  Nemours,  his  income  was  only 
50,000  francs  (£2,000)  per  annum,  the  eighth  part 
of   the   joint    income    of    the    King   and    his    sister 

^  Also  niece  of  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  and  first  cousin  to  Queen 
Victoria. 

243 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Adelaide.     The  bride  would  inherit  about  the  same 
amount  from  her  parents. 

Marie  Amelie  wrote  to  the  King:  **In  spite  of 
the  refusal  of  grant  let  the  marriage  take  place ;  the 
dear,  good  child  will  be  a  delightful  wife  for  Nemours, 
and  a  pleasure  and  comfort  to  all  of  us  ". 

So  Duke  Ferdinand  of  Saxe-Cobourg  brought  his 
daughter  to  Paris,  and  she  was  also  accompanied 
by  her  brother  Augustus.^  The  marriage  took  place 
at  St.  Cloud  on  27th  April,  1840.  A  spectator, 
Baronne  Frossard,  has  left  an  account  of  the  im- 
pression created  by  the  bride  on  her  first  appearance 
at  the  Tuileries,  a  few  days  after  the  marriage.  "  It 
was  the  King's  birthday  fete.  Her  Royal  Highness 
accompanied  our  august  Queen  in  the  long  and 
fatiguing  tour  of  the  grand  state  apartments ;  on 
great  occasions  Her  Majesty  always  stops  and  ad- 
dresses a  few  pleasant  words  to  every  lady  whose 
position  entitles  her  to  it.  In  spite  of  the  great 
reputation  for  beauty  which  had  preceded  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  de  Nemours,  contrary  to  custom,  her 
beauty  surpassed  our  expectations.  She  was  ex- 
quisitely dressed  in  white  tulle,  embroidered  with 
silver  and  pearls,  and  roses,  the  leaves  of  which 
were  emeralds." 

Two  months  later  the  bride  and  bridegroom  went 
to  spend  a  fortnight  with  the  Queen  of  England. 
The  Duchesse  de  Nemours  was  first  cousin  of  the 
Prince  Consort  as  well  as  of  the  Queen,  who,  by 
the  splendid  fHe^  given  in  their  honour,  wished  to 
^  He  married  Princess  Clementine  d'Orleans  eventually. 

244 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

let  the  world  at  large  know  the  high  esteem  in  which 
she  held  her  young  relatives. 

At  Windsor  there  is  a  beautiful  painting  by 
Winterhalter,  of  the  Duchesse  de  Nemours  and 
Queen  Victoria  sitting  side  by  side,  with  the  word 
"  Cousins  "  underneath.  But  the  Queen  always  said 
that  she  looked  upon  the  young  Duchess  as  a  sister. 
She  frequently  invited  the  pair  to  visit  her,  and  in 
her  letters  there  are  many  references  to  these  visits, 
and  the  Queen  always  speaks  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Nemours  with  great  affection,  and  always  with  the 
addition  of  some  expression  of  admiration  for  her 
beauty. 

Marie  Amelie  was  not  disappointed  in  her 
daughter-in-law   on    further  acquaintance. 

The  year  after  the  wedding  the  Due  de  Nemours, 
accompanied  by  his  brother,  the  Due  d'Aumale,  went 
to  make  his  third  campaign  in  Africa. 

His  mother  wrote  to  him  as  usual.  In  one  letter 
she  says  :  ''  Sweet,  dear  Victoire  only  lives  in  Africa  ; 
whatever  she  says  or  does  has  reference  to  you.  She 
is  indeed  worthy  of  your  love,  and  is  an  angel  of 
piety  and  sweetness.  She  accompanies  me  to  all  the 
Church  services.  To-day  we  performed  our  Easter 
devotions  together." 


245 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Notes  on  Marie  Amelie's  Sons — Their  Characters  and  Careers  {co7i- 
tinued) — Marriages  of  her  Daughters — Sudden  Death  of  Due 
d'0rl6ans,  Heir  to  the  Throne — Opinion  of  Europe — Effect  on 
Dynasty — Sorrow  of  Marie  Am61ie — Subsequent  Life  at  Tuil- 
eries  (Koutine  of) — Marie  Am6lie's  Daughters-in-law. 

Amongst  Marie  Amelie's  sons,  the  fourth,  the  Due 
d'Aumale,  was  generally  considered  to  have  the  best 
abilities.  He  was  certainly  the  richest,  having  in- 
herited Chantilly  and  the  great  wealth  of  his  god- 
father, the  last  Prince  de  Conde.^  After  distinguish- 
ing himself  at  college  he  entered  the  army  and 
became  captain  of  the  4th  Light  Infantry  regiment. 
He  was  handsome,  brave,  full  of  wit  and  thoroughly 
a  Frenchman.  He  soon  became  very  popular  in  the 
army,  won  fame  in  the  Algerian  campaign,  and  finally 
had  the  satisfaction  of  breaking  up  the  Smala  of 
Abdul  Kadir,  May,  1843. 

In  the  intervals  of  campaigns  he  found  time  to 
marry  his  cousin,  a  princess  of  Bourbon  Sicily, 
daughter  of  Marie  Ame'lie's  favourite  brother,  the 
Prince  of  Salerno.  This  was  a  great  joy  to  Marie 
Amelie.      Her   new   daughter-in-law   was   after   her 

^  Whose  grandson  and  heir,  Due  d'Enghien,  had  been  brutally 
murdered  by  Napoleon. 

246 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

own  heart,  sweet  and  pious,  a  petite  and  graceful 
young  creature,  with  a  melodious  Italian  voice. 

The  Conde  fortune  was  left  to  the  Due  d'Aumale 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Prince  de  Conde's 
mistress,  Mme.  de  Feuchars,  who  had  been  Sophy 
Dawes,  an  English  fisherman's  daughter.  She  was 
an  infamous  woman,  but  wished  to  be  received  at 
Court ;  in  fact  it  was  a  case  of  quid  pro  quo.  Mdme. 
Adelaide  and  Louis  Philippe  agreed  to  bring  about 
her  reception  at  Court  circles  on  condition  that  she 
used  her  influence  with  the  old  Prince  de  Conde 
for  the  disposition  of  his  fortune  in  favour  of  the 
Due  d'Aumale.  After  the  will  was  made  the  Prince 
de  Conde  died  under  very  suspicious  circumstances, 
which  implicated  Mme.  de  Feuchars.  Louis  Philippe 
is  blamed  for  hushing  up  the  matter  and  causing  a 
verdict  of  suicide  to  be  published,  though  the  cir- 
cumstances proved  that  suicide  was  impossible.  Mme. 
de  Feuchars  had  been  well  provided  for  in  the  will. 
She  had  wearied  the  Prince  de  Conde,  and  knew 
he  contemplated  leaving  France ;  had  he  managed 
to  escape  both  she  and  Louis  Philippe  knew  that  the 
fortune  would  go  to  the  little  Due  de  Bordeaux. 

Marie  Am^lie  has  been  blamed  for  receiving  and 
showing  every  civility  to  Mme.  de  Feuchars,^  but  on 
this  and  other  crucial  matters  she  was  overruled 
by  her  husband.  One  who  knew  them  well  ^  said : 
"  The  Queen  spoils  the  King  by  a  complete  renuncia- 

^  The  Prefect  refused  to  admit  her  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville  re- 
ceptions. 
2  Appert. 

247 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tion  of  her  own  will  for  his".  Only  thus  can  we 
account  for  her  not  infrequent  participation  in  a  line 
of  conduct  that  must  have  been  repugnant  and 
contrary  to  the  principles  of  a  refined  and  religious 
woman,  such  as  she  is  known  to  have  been.  In 
spite  of  Louis  Philippe's  great  and  lasting  affection 
for  his  wife,  she  certainly  could  not  influence  him 
politically.  She  wished  him  not  to  accept  the  crown  ; 
he  accepted  it ;  later,  she  wished  him  to  fight  for  it, 
but  he  abdicated. 

The  Prince  de  Joinville,  "Hadji,"  was  the  fav- 
ourite of  his  aunt,  Mdme.  Adelaide.  "  He  is  like  me 
and  my  father,"  she  said,  "  that  is  why  I  prefer  him 
to  my  other  nephews."  Joinville  was  the  most  gener- 
ally popular  of  the  brothers.  Sailor  and  artist,  more 
than  prince,  he  was  negligent  in  his  dress,  and  drank, 
smoked  and  swore  like  a  veritable  Jack  Tar.  But 
he  had  a  passion  for  the  arts,  and  was  himself  no 
mean  artist,  and  wrote  with  facility  and  distinction. 
When  on  shore  he  used  to  accompany  his  aunt  to 
visit  her  estates  at  Randau,  Arc  or  Bizy,  and  she 
left  the  greater  part  of  them  to  him  at  her  death, 
the  income  of  his  share  amounting  to  1,100,100 
francs.^ 

In  1840  the  Prince  de  Joinville  was  sent  on  his 
frigate,  La  belle  penile,  to  St.  Helena,  to  bring  back 
to  France  the  ashes  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  which 

^  Madame  Adelaide  had  left  everything  to  Joinville,  but  when 
the  Chamber  refused  a  grant  to  Nemours,  and  on  the  death  of  his 
brother  he  became  eldest  son  and  prospective  regent,  a  sense  of 
justice  made  her  allot  him  a  share  in  her  fortune. 

248 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

England  had  consented  to  give  up.  Every  prepara- 
tion was  made  in  Paris  for  a  magnificent  reception. 
Napoleon's  remains  were  not  to  lie  at  St.  Denis, 
among  the  ancient  Kings  of  France,  but  at  the  Church 
of  the  Invalides,  beside  Turenne  and  other  great 
generals,  who  had  been  the  glory  of  the  French 
nation.  On  the  15th  of  December  the  coffin,  with 
a  splendid  military  escort,  passed  through  a  crowd 
of  600,000  spectators  to  the  church,  where  the  King 
and  royal  family,  the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  and  a  body 
of  ecclesiastics  awaited  it.  Addressing  the  King, 
'*  Sire,"  said  the  Prince  de  Joinville,  who  advanced 
at  the  head  of  the  procession,  "  I  present  to  you 
the  ashes  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  ". 

The  King  commanded  General  Bertrand  to  put 
Napoleon's  sword  and  hat  on  the  coffin,  which  was 
then  placed  on  a  magnificent  altar  in  the  centre  of 
the  church.  The  funeral  service  was  performed  with 
the  utmost  solemnity,  and  the  "  Dies  Irae  "  chanted  by 
a  thousand  voices.  The  immense  assemblage  were 
deeply  affected,  there  was  not  a  dry  eye  as  the  coffin 
of  the  great  soldier  was  lowered  into  the  grave. 

In  1843  the  Prince  de  Joinville  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  bombardment  of  Tangiers,  which  resulted 
in  the  submission  of  Abdul  Kadir ;  and  afterwards 
went  to  Brazil.  There  he  fell  in  love  with  and 
married  a  princess  of  the  House  of  Braganza,  Donna 
Francesca,  sister  of  the  Emperor  of  Brazil  ^  and  of 

^  In  the  same  month,  May,  1843,  the  Emperor  (Pedro  II.) 
married  Marie  Amelie's  niece,  Theresa  Christina,  of  Bourbon 
Sicily. 

249 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

the  Queen  of  Portugal,  and  carried  her  off  to  France. 
"  Happy  is  the  wooing  that  is  not  long  adoing."  In 
July  of  the  same  year  Mdme.  Adelaide  received  the 
young  couple  with  great  rejoicing  at  her  Chateau  de 
Bizy,  which  was  to  be  their  home. 

In  the  same  year  Queen  Victoria  visited  the 
French  royal  family  at  the  Chateau  d'Eu,  and  she 
thus  refers  to  the  bride.  "  Little  Chica  (Mme.  Hadji) 
is  a  charming,  sprightly,  lively  creature,  with  immense 
brown  eyes." 

She  was  the  merriest  and  frankest,  also  the  most 
gracious  and  seductive  of  Marie  Amelie's  daughters- 
in-law.  But  though  a  flower,  the  Court  thought 
her  a  very  wild  flower,  and  she  scandalised  the 
other  Princesses  by  her  want  of  conventionality, 
especially  by  singing  aloud  when  they  were  all  seated 
decorously  at  needlework  at  the  round  table  in  the 
salon. 

Marie  Ame'lie's  youngest  son,  "Toto,"  the  Due 
de  Montpensier,  resembled  his  father  in  every  par- 
ticular, in  face,  figure,  tricks  of  manner,  as  well  as 
in  mind  and  character. 

In  the  later  years  of  the  reign,  he  and  his  wife 
were  the  King's  favourites  in  the  family  circle,  and 
exercised  great  influence  over  him. 

The  Duchesse  de  Montpensier  was  the  sister  of 
Queen  Isabella  of  Spain,^  and  was  very  handsome, 
with  large  black  eyes,  splendid  hair  and  a  dignified 

^  This  marriage,  looked  upon  as  treachery  by  England,  broke 
up  the  alliance  of  that  country  and  France,  and  contributed  to  Louis 
Philippe's  downfall  (see  chap.  xiii.). 

250 


Pbincesse  Louise  d'Orleans,  Queen  of  the  BEuaANS 

BoRiT  AT  Palermo,  1812 

To  face  p.  250 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

carriage.  Her  daughter-like  attentions  and  con- 
sideration pleased  Louis  Philippe  vastly  and  won 
his  heart. 

Of  Marie  Amelie's  own  daughters,  it  was  said 
that  amongst  them  all  desirable  qualities  were  to 
be  found,  either  beauty,  wit,  intellectual  power  or 
nobility  of  character.  The  eldest,  Princess  Louise, 
was  married  in  August,  1832,  to  Leopold,  King  of 
the  Belgians.  She  was  twenty,  he  was  much  older 
and  a  widower.^  The  Princess  was  not  much  inclined 
to  the  marriage,  but  she  was  sweet  tempered  and 
very  religious,  so  that  when  she  was  told  that  the 
alliance  was  desired  for  political  reasons  and  would 
contribute  to  the  welfare  of  France,  she  acquiesced, 
and  her  married  life  was  a  very  happy  one. 

The  Princes  of  the  House  of  Cobourg  had 
attained  a  very  influential  position  in  Europe  owing 
to  their  high  reputation  for  sagacity  and  character, 
as  well  as  by  their  marriage  connections  with  the 
leading  royal  families  of  Europe.  One  was  on  the 
Throne  of  Belgium,  two  others  next  to  the  Throne, 
as  Prince  Consorts  of  the  Queens  of  England  and 
Portugal.  The  King  of  the  Belgians,  uncle  of  Queen 
Victoria,  was  her  most  intimate,  beloved  and  re- 
spected relative.  To  her  he  described  his  bride  as 
follows  :  "  Your  new  aunt  is  extremely  gentle  and 
amiable,  her  actions  are  always  guided  by  principle. 
She  is  always  disposed  to  sacrifice  her  own  comfort 
and  inclinations  for  that  of   others.     She  is  highly 

^  Of  Princess  Charlotte  of  England,  heiress  to  the  Throne. 

251 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

informed  and  very  clever,  speaks  and  writes  English, 
German  and  Italian.  She  speaks  English  very  well 
indeed.  In  short,  I  may  well  recommend  her  as  an 
example  to  all  young  ladies,  princesses  or  others. 
She  has  very  fair  hair,  blue  eyes,  a  Bourbon  nose 
and  a  small  mouth,  a  very  kind  and  intelligent 
expression.  She  rides  and  dances  extremely  well. 
Already  great  confidence  and  affection  exists  be- 
tween us ;  she  is  desirous  of  doing  anything  that 
can  contribute  to  my  happiness,  and  I  study  to  make 
her  contented.  She  is  a  very  great  prize,  which  I 
highly  value  and  cherish." 

Visits  to  her  daughter  at  Brussels  were  a  very 
great  pleasure  to  Marie  Amelie,  and  during  her 
second  visit  she  was  present  at  the  birth  of  her 
first  grandson,  the  late  King  of  the  Belgians. 

The  second  d'Orleans  princess,  Princess  Marie, 
was  married  to  Prince  Alexander  of  Wurtemberg  in 
1837.^ 

She  was  extremely  energetic,  full  of  la  joie  de 
vivre ;  nothing  came  amiss  to  her,  balls  or  politics  ; 
in  the  latter  she  was  an  apt  disciple  of  her  Aunt 
Adelaide.  She  had  remarkable  abilities  under  a 
frivolous   surface. 

Her  married  life  lasted  little  more  than  a  year. 
Her  sufferings  were  terrible,  her  death  very  sudden. 
Only  her  brother  Nemours  was  with  her,  and  almost 
her  last  words  to  him  were  :  "  Tell  Mamma  how  much 
I  love  her,  and  that  I  am  glad  she  is  not  here  to 

^  During  the  festivities  which  took  place  on  her  arrival,  she 
danced  with  the  sons  of  Jerome  Bonaparte. 

262 


Princesse  Marie  d "Orleans  (Mdlle.  de  Valois) 

Born  at  Palermo,  1813 

Tvfacep.  252 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

be  grieved  by  my  sufferings".  She  left  an  infant 
son. 

The  youngest  daughter  of  Marie  Amelie,  Prin- 
cess Clementine,  was  handsomie,  ^piritiielle,  intelli- 
gent, and  the  most  ambitious  of  the  sisters.  She 
it  was,  who,  on  several  occasions,  had  excited  the 
marked  admiration  of  the  late  King  Charles  X. 
However,  no  great  marriage  was  arranged  for 
her. 

In  1843  she  married,  at  St.  Cloud,  Prince  Au- 
gustus^ of  Saxe-Cobourg,  brother  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Nemours,  and  son  of  Prince  Ferdinand  of  Saxe- 
Cobourg.  They  had  met  frequently  at  the  Court  of 
Brussels,  and  also  when  Prince  Augustus  accom- 
panied his  sister  to  France  for  her  marriage. 

Apparently  Prince  Augustus  was  neither  brilliant 
nor  engaging.  When  he  was  visiting  at  Windsor- 
Queen  Victoria  wrote  to  her  uncle  in  Belgium  :  "  I 
cannot  say  much  for  poor  Gusti,  though  I  love  him, 
but  he  is  really  too  odd  and  inanimate  ". 

Later,  the  Queen  mentions  him  again:  ''Clem 
seems  very  happy  and  writes  that  she  is  happiest 
when  tete  a  tete  with  Gusti,  which  /  should  not 
fancy  ". 

Princess   Clementine^   survived   all  her  brothers 

^  His  brother  Leopold  married  Maria  Gloria,  Queen  of  Portugal. 

^His  father  was  brother  of  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  and  of  the 
King  of  the  Belgians. 

3  Her  husband  inherited  the  great  possessions  of  the  family  in 
Hungary,  and  all  the  wealth  of  the  family,  his  elder  brother  having 
to  renounce  this  on  marrying  the  Queen  of  Portugal. 

253 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  sisters,  and  lived    to  see  her  son,  Prince  Fer- 
dinand, called  to  the  Throne  of  Bulgaria. 

In  July,  1842,  when  the  kirigdom  tvas  quiet,  and 
Marie  Amelie  seemed  to  be  enjoying  a  spell  of  real 
peace  and  prosperity,  and  had  recently  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  welcoming  and  /etingr  her  Sicilian  relations 
(her  brother  had  taken  a  daughter  to  marry  the  King 
of  Spain  and  came  to  Paris),  the  blow  fell  which 
deprived  the  d'Orleans  of  its  chief  stay,  and  the 
nation  of  one  on  whom  the  hopes  of  the  better  part 
were  placed. 

The  Due  d'Orleans  met  with  an  accident  and  was 
killed  on  his  way  to  a  review.  His  horses  were  res- 
tive, and  he  jumped  from  his  carriage,  fell  on  his 
head,  and  never  recovered  consciousness.  A  few 
minutes  after  he  had  started,  while  the  rest  of  the 
royal  party  were  waiting  in  the  salon  at  Neuilly 
for  the  carriages  that  were  to  take  them  to  the  re- 
view, a  commissioner  of  police  entered  and  whispered 
something  to  the  King,  who  exclaimed  :  "  O  my  God ! 
Chartres  has  met  with  an  accident,  and  has  been 
carried  into  a  house  at  Sablonville " ! 

Without  waiting  to  hear  more,  Marie  Amelie 
rushed  out  into  the  street  on  foot,  and  hurried  in 
the  direction  of  Sablonville.  The  King  and  Mdme. 
Adelaide  followed  in  a  carriage,  picked  her  up,  and 
all  three  drove  on  to  the  inn,  where  thev  found  the 
Due  d'Orleans  lying  on  a  mattress  on  the  floor. 
Doctor  Pasquier  told  them  there  was  no  hope,  the 
cure  of  Neuilly  was  sent  for  to  administer  the  last 
Sacrament,  while  the  d'Orleans  family  knelt  around, 

254 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

praying  and  sobbing.  In  a  few  moments  the  Prince 
breathed  his  last. 

His  death  was  an  immense  and  irreparable  loss 
both  to  his  family  and  the  nation.  "  The  Chief  of 
to-morrow "  had  disappeared,  the  Monarchy  was 
shaken,  for  not  only  the  friends  of  Louis  Philippe's 
government  but  also  its  opponents  had  placed  their 
hopes  on  him.^  The  army  bitterly  lamented  his  loss. 
His  little  son,  the  Comte  de  Paris,  was  only  four 
years  old.     Louis  Philippe  was  sixty- nine. 

Lord  Malmesbury  wrote  in  his  Memoirs :  "  What 
will  be  the  result  of  this  sad  event  ?  Probably 
a  revolution  on  the  King's  death.  The  French 
will  never  stand  a  long  regency,  as  this  would 
be." 

The  Due  d'Orleans'  body  was  carried  to  the 
Chapel  of  Neuilly,  the  whole  royal  family  following 
on  foot.  His  poor  wife  arrived  there  later.  She 
had  heard  of  his  death  by  wire,  at  Plombieres, 
and  set  off  for  Paris  in  the  middle  of  the  night. 
At  a  few  posts  from  Plombieres  she  met  the 
Duke's  aide-de-camp  and  said ;  **  I  was  too  proud 
of  him,  and  God  has  taken  him  away  as  a  punish- 
ment ". 

This  blow  turned  Marie  Amelie  into  an  old 
woman,  and  whitened  her  hair. 

To  Queen  Victoria  she  wrote ;  "  Mme.  et  tres 
chere  Soeur.  Je  comptais  que  votre  majeste  et  le 
Prince  Albert  s'assoceraient  a  notre  immense  dou- 

^  His  views  were  more  modern  even  than  his  father's. 

256 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

leur;  que  Dieu  vous  benisse  pour  le  tendre  expres- 
sion de  votre  lettre.  Nous  somme  aneantis  par  le 
coup  dont  Dieu  nous  a  frappe',  que  sa  Sainte  Volonte 
soit  faite.  J'ai  perdu  I'objet  de  ma  plus  vif  tendresse, 
celui  qui  depuis  32  ans  avait  etait  mon  bonheur  et 
ma  gloire,  plein  de  vie,  d'avenir,  me  tete  n'y  est 
plus,  mon  cour  est  fle'tri  je  tache  de  me  resigner, 
je  pleur  et  prie  pour  cet  ame  qui  m'etait  si  chere ; 
et  pour  que  Dieu  nous  conserve  I'infortune  et  pre- 
cieux  roi,  dont  la  douleur  est  incommensurable ;  que 
Dieu  vous  preserve  Madame  a  jamais  des  pareilles 
douleurs." 

The  Queen  of  the  Belgians  wrote  :  "  Chartres  was 
the  head,  heart  and  soul  of  our  family". 

Marie  Ame'lie  gave  more  and  more  of  her  time 
to  religious  practices,  her  piety  became  more  ardent ; 
she  spent  long  hours  in  prayer  at  the  Church  of  St. 
Roche  and  afterwards  at  the  memorial  chapel  erected 
for  the  Due  d'Orleans. 

No  one  had  heart  for  fetes  now ;  life  was  some- 
what sad  at  the  Tuileries.  The  Queen  exercised  a 
strict  oversight  over  her  young  daughters-in-law, 
Nemours,  d'Aumale,  Joinville  and  Montpensier,  who 
could  not  go  out  without  the  Queen's  permis- 
sion, and  telling  her  where  they  were  going,  and  at 
what  hour,  and  she  always  made  inquiries  as  to 
the  hour  of  their  return.  In  the  day  time  the  grand- 
children at  their  play  made  the  palace  a  little  lively, 
but  the  evenings  were  dreary  and  monotonous.  After 
dinner  the  family  assembled  in  the  drawing-room,  next 
to  the  throne-room,  and  the  Princesses  sat  round  the 

256 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

table  at  needlework,  in  order  of  precedence,  the 
eldest  next  the  Queen.  ^ 

The  Duchesse  d'Orleans,  who  was  of  a  very  in- 
dependent character,  escaped  this  tutelage.  After 
her  husband's  death  she  lived  chiefly  in  her  own 
apartments,  occupying  herself  with  her  children,  and 
only  appeared  occasionally  in  the  salon  of  an  evening, 
to  please  her  mother-in-law.  The  Duchesse  d'Or- 
leans was  a  very  noble  character,  much  looked  up  to, 
and  though  she  had  not  the  beauty  of  the  Duchesse 
de  Nemours,  it  was  said  "  one  glance  from  the 
Duchesse  d'Orle'ans  was  worth  a  hundred  from  the 
Duchesse  de  Nemours. 

Her  husband  had  been  devoted  to  her,  but  the 
difference  of  religion  (she  was  a  Protestant)  was  a 
barrier  to  great  intimacy  with  her  mother-in-law, 
and  a  certain  reserve  prevented  her  being  quite  one 
of  the  family,  as  the  other  daughters-in-law  were. 
And  though  Louis  Philippe  always  showed  extreme 
courtesy  to  his  daughter-in-law,  there  seemed  always 
to  be  in  his  mind,  and  that  of  his  sister,  a  lurking 
fear  that  she  might  assert  her  claim  to  the  regency 
in  the  event  of  the  King's  death. 

^  Though  they  submitted,  they,  except  the  Duchesse  de  Nem- 
ours, probably  rebelled  at  heart.  The  Duchesse  de  Montpensier, 
who  was  in  bad  health,  when  in  a  particularly  uncomfortable 
position  during  the  flight  which  followed  the  revolution  of  '48, 
sitting  on  a  dark  winter's  night  in  the  rain,  on  a  log  outside  a 
town  it  was  not  safe  to  enter,  while  part  of  the  escort  had  gone 
to  get  relays,  said  to  the  general  who  was  with  her  when  he  con- 
doled with  her  on  the  trials  of  the  position  :  "I  much  prefer  these 
adventures  to  sitting  at  needlework  in  the  Tuileries  ". 

257  17 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Her  husband  had  left  a  will,  in  which  he  said  that 
in  case  of  his  death,  the  Due  de  Nemours  was  to  be 
looked  on  as  head  of  the  family,  and  eventually 
regent.  His  words  were:  "Nemours  will  be  the 
head  of  my  young  family.  I  love  him  with  more 
than  a  brother's  love,  and  his  loyal  character  in- 
spires me  with  the  utmost  confidence  as  to  his  con- 
duct in  the  event  of  such  a  great  future  opening  to 
him.  If,  unfortunately,  the  King  is  not  living  to 
watch  over  my  son  till  his  majority,  Helene  (his 
wife)  is  not  to  allow  her  name  to  be  brought  for- 
ward for  the  regency  instead  of  my  brother  Nem- 
ours. I  have  more  confidence  in  his  judgment  than 
my  own." 

There  is  no  proof  that  the  young  widow  did  so, 
but  there  was  a  party  who  used  her  name,  because 
they  disliked  the  Due  de  Nemours,  believing  that 
he  was  too  conservative.  Also  he  was  of  too  retir- 
ing and  reserved  disposition  to  be  generally  popular. 
"  He  was  esteemed  and  respected,  but  he  avoided 
recognition  as  much  as  most  people  seek  it.  His 
noble  conduct  during  the  campaigns  in  Africa  had 
won  the  attachment  of  all  his  comrades  in  the  army. 
Everywhere,  and  on  all  occasions,  he  did  his  duty  and 
more  than  his  duty." 

Although  not  heir  to  the  Throne,  after  his 
brother's  death,  he  had  to  fulfil  the  functions  of 
that  position,  owing  to  the  infancy  of  the  Comte 
de  Paris,  and  henceforth  the  King  depended  on  him 
for  everything,  and  would  do  nothing  without  con- 
sulting him. 

258 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

When  the  King  opened  the  Chambers  he  was 
supported  by  four  of  his  sons.  After  alluding  to 
the  calamity  which  had  befallen  him,  he  broke 
down  in  his  address,  and  even  those  who  were  his 
enemies  felt  compassion  and  sympathy. 


259 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 

Visit  of  Queen  Victoria  to  France — Visit  of  Louis  Philippe  to 
England — Death  of  Madame  Adelaide — Disturbed  State  of 
France — Eevolution  of  1848 — Abdication  and  Flight  of  King 
and  Queen. 

Europe  began  to  see  that  it  owed  recognition  to 
King  Louis  Philippe  for  keeping  down  the  revolu- 
tionary spirit  which  threatened  to  spread  to  all 
countries ;  and  it  was  acknowledged  also  that  his 
foreign  policy  made  for  peace.  In  1840  Queen  Vic- 
toria wrote  to  the  King  of  the  Belgians  about  the 
threatening  aspect  of  affairs  in  the  East:  "We  owe 
much  of  the  change  in  the  attitude  of  France  to 
the  peaceful  disposition  of  the  King,  for  which  I 
feel  grateful.  Pray  offer  to  him  on  his  birthday 
my  best  and  sincerest  wishes  for  his  happiness  and 
health.  May  he  live  many  years  for  the  benefit  of 
all  Europe ! " 

In  1843  Queen  Victoria  and  the  Prince  Consort 
paid  a  visit  to  the  French  royal  family  at  the  Chateau 
d'Eu,  in  Normandy.  Eu  is  near  Dieppe  and  close  to 
the  Forest  of  Arques.  Louis  Philippe  had  inherited 
it  from  his  mother,  who  had  inherited  it  from  her 
great  uncle,  the  Due  de  Maine,  son  of  Louis  XIV. 
It  had  been  part  of  the   inheritance   of  la  Grande 

260 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Mademoiselle/  who  was  persuaded  by  Mme.  de  Mon- 
tespan  to  bestow  it  on  the  Due  de  Maine,  as  price  of 
the  liberty  of  Mademoiselle's  lover,  Lauzun.  It  was 
the  favourite  country  seat  of  the  d'Orleans  family. 

The  Queen  of  England  was  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived when  she  landed  at  Tre'port.  Next  day,  3rd 
September,  1843,  a  great  entertainment  was  given 
in  the  banqueting  hall  of  the  chateau.  On  the  4th 
a  fete  champetre,  on  the  Mont  d'Orleans,  in  the 
Forest  of  Arques ;  on  the  5th  a  review.  On  the 
7th  the  English  royalties  concluded  their  visit. 

A  French  orator  compared  the  meeting  of  the 
King  of  the  French  and  the  Queen  of  England  to 
that  of  Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba. 

This  visit  undoubtedly  improved  the  position  of 
the  d'Orleans  dynasty,  Queen  Victoria  being  the 
first  among  the  sovereigns  of  Europe  to  visit  Louis 
Philippe  on  equal  terms.  It  also  strengthened  the 
feelings  of  private  friendship  between  the  two  royal 
families,  already  closely  connected  by  the  Belgian  and 
Saxe-Cobourg  marriages.  From  d'Eu,  Queen  Victoria 
wrote  to  her  uncle:  "I  am  writing  from  this  dear 
place  where  we  are  in  the  midst  of  this  truly  amiable 
family.  We  feel  quite  at  home  and  as  if  we  were 
one  of  them.  Our  reception  by  the  dear  King  and 
Queen  has  been  most  kind,  and  by  the  people,  really 
gratifying." 

The  King  of  the  Belgians  replied :  "I  was 
sure  that  personal  contact  with  the  family  at  Eu 
would  be  agreeable  to  you,  and  at  the  same  time 

1  Daughter  of  Gaston  d'Orleans. 
261 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

remove  some  general  impressions  on  the  subject  of 
the  King,  which  are  untrue,  particularly  the  attempt 
to  represent  him  as  the  most  astute  of  men,  calcu- 
lating constantly  to  deceive  people.  His  vivacity 
and  thoroughly  French  loquacity  w^ould  make  such 
a  system  particularly  difficult  for  him." 

In  the  following  year,  October,  1844,  Louis 
Philippe  returned  Queen  Victoria's  visit,  but  was 
not  accompanied  by  his  wife,  whose  tender  and  un- 
ceasing solicitude  for  him  made  her  nervous,  for  fear 
he  should  be  imprudent,  and  risk  his  health  on  this 
occasion. 

Her  daughter,  the  Queen  of  the  Belgians,  writing 
to  Queen  Victoria,  said  :  "  My  dear  mother  is  uneasy 
for  fear  that,  being  at  liberty  and  without  her  at  his 
side  to  remind  him,  my  father  will  play  the  young 
man,  ride  about  and  do  everything  as  if  he  were 
twenty  !  If  I  must  tell  you  the  truth,  she  is  afraid 
he  will  eat  too  much  !  I  am  sure  he  will  tell  you 
this  himself  as  he  was  much  amused.  He  is  naturally 
so  imprudent,  and  thinks  so  little  about  himself,  that 
he  requires  to  be  watched  to  prevent  his  doing  what 
is  injurious  to  himself.  Though  my  father  has  sent 
over  his  horses,  my  mother  begs  you,  if  possible,  to 
prevent  his  riding  at  all.  He  is  one  of  the  most  easy 
beings  to  please,  and  his  eventful  life  has  used  him 
to  everything.  A  hard  bed  and  a  large  table  for 
papers  are  all  that  he  requires  in  his  room.  Mamma 
has  given  all  instructions  to  Toto,^  and  told  him  to 
speak  directly  to  Albert,  if  necessary." 

'  Due  de  Montpensier,  who  accompanied  his  father  to  England. 

262 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELTE 

In  England  the  excitement  and  curiosity  to  see 
Louis  Philippe  was  very  great.  He  was  the  first 
French  king  to  come  on  a  visit  to  a  sovereign  of 
England.  He  was  enthusiastically  received  wherever 
he  appeared,  and  was  installed  as  a  Knight  of  the 
Garter  at  Windsor,  with  great  magnificence. 

Queen  Victoria  wrote :  "  The  dear  King's  visit 
went  off  to  perfection.  He  was  delighted.  What 
an  extraordinary  man  he  is !  What  stores  of  in- 
formation !  What  a  memory !  How  lively !  How 
sagacious  he  is  !  I  am  certain  the  visit  will  do  great 
good." 

Unfortunately,  two  years  later,  the  friendship 
between  the  two  royal  families  greatly  cooled  down, 
owing  to  Louis  Philippe's  bad  faith  over  the  Spanish 
marriages. 

The  marriage  of  the  Queen  of  Spain  and  her 
sister  was  considered  an  international  question.  It 
was  agreed  that  no  son  of  Louis  Philippe  should 
marry  the  Queen,  and  also  that  no  son  of  his  should 
marry  her  sister  till  the  Queen  herself  was  married 
and  had  children.  In  defiance  of  this  agreement, 
when  such  a  husband  was  got  for  the  Queen  of  Spain 
as  made  it  improbable  she  would  ever  have  chil- 
dren, at  the  same  time  her  sister's  engagement  was 
announced  to  the  Due  de  Montpensier. 

Queen  Victoria  never  forgot  this,  though  she  for- 
gave it  when  misfortune  overtook  the  French  royal 
family  and  they  had  to  seek  refuge  in  her  dominions. 

In  January,  1848,  Mdme.  Adelaide,  the  King's 
sister,  died.     It  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  royal 

263 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

family.  Her  brother  was  accustomed  to  visit  her 
daily,  and  to  discuss  with  her,  and  take  her  opinion 
on  all  affairs  of  State,  as  well  as  of  the  family. 

The  newspapers  of  the  day  said :  "  The  death  of 
Mdme.  Adelaide  is  an  important  political  event.  Had 
she  survived  her  brother,  she  would  have  taken  his 
place  as  head  of  the  family,  over  which  she  exercised 
great  influence,  owing  to  her  powers  of  mind  and 
great  wealth.  She  would  have  carried  on  the  tra- 
ditions of  his  policy ;  her  courage  never  failed,  her 
will  was  never  undecided." 

It  is  generally  acknowledged  that  her  death  con- 
tributed to  the  fall  of  the  d'Orleans  dynasty.  In  the 
events  that  were  about  to  take  place,  she,  who  always 
discerned  the  crucial  point  of  a  situation,  would  have 
advised  her  brother  to  necessary  concessions  or  to 
determined  resistance. 

There  had  now  been  many  years  of  material  pros- 
perity in  France,  and  it  appeared  as  if  the  people 
were  satisfied  to  enjoy  it,  and  thought  only  of  en- 
riching themselves.  But  in  reality  only  the  surface 
was  smooth,  underneath  discontent  with  the  Govern- 
ment was  seething.  There  were  some  who  saw  that 
the  liberties  and  privileges  for  which  they  had  fought 
during  two  or  three  revolutions,  were  gradually  being 
diminished,  that  the  people  had  really  little  voice  in 
the  Government,  where  they  were  represented  by  a 
body  of  officials  entirely  devoted  to  the  King.  Cor- 
ruption had  entered  into  all  the  elections,  parliament- 
ary purity  was  a  byeword ;  there  had  been  several 
bad   harvests,    famine    threatened   the   country,    the 

264 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

budget  was  threatened  with  a  deficit,  and  the  ex- 
penses of  the  country  were  in  excess  of  the  income. 
A  universal  outcry  arose  for  electoral  reform.  In 
many  large  provincial  cities  banquets  were  organised, 
nominally  for  the  discussion  of  reform,  which  were 
really  meetings  to  spread  democratic  ideas,  and  or- 
ganise opposition  to  the  Government.  The  King  and 
Prime  Minister,  Guizot,  did  not  regard  this  movement 
as  of  any  great  importance.  They  placed  confidence 
in  the  majority  which  the  Government  possessed  in 
the  Chambers,  and  in  the  fidelity  of  the  army,  in 
which  the  King's  sons  held  commands,  and  in  the 
motives  of  self-interest  of  all  the  well-to-do,  to  avoid 
change. 

But  in  February,  1848,  a  banquet  on  a  vast  scale 
was  organised  in  Paris  for  the  purpose  of  forwarding 
reform.  The  Ministry  claimed  the  right  to  forbid 
this  banquet.  This  involved  the  question  of  liberty 
to  hold  public  meetings,  which  had  never  before  been 
disputed. 

Orleanists,  liberals,  republicans,  legitimists  united 
in  defending  these  rights.  Heated  discussions  took 
place  in  the  Chambers,  and  Guizot  announced  that 
the  Government  would  defend  its  right  of  veto  by 
force. 

The  Reformers  had  decided  to  meet  in  front  of 
the  Madeleine  and  proceed  to  the  banquet,  but  gave 
it  up  for  fear  of  a  massacre.  However,  the  populace 
assembled  in  great  crowds  at  the  Madeleine,  and 
barricades  were  raised.  Government  had  called 
out  a  strong  and  powerful  body  of  troops,  enough, 

266 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

if  well  led,  to  put  down  any  insurrection,  but  they 
were  commanded  only  to  keep  order,  and  not  to  fire 
on  the  people  till  the  last  extremity. 

The  King,  with  much  reluctance,  had  agreed  to 
announce  that  Guizot  had  resigned  and  a  new 
Ministry,  with  Mole  at  its  head,  would  be  formed, 
thinking  that  this  was  all  that  was  necessary  to  re- 
store peace  and  order. 

Reports  reached  him  that  the  National  Guard, 
when  called  out,  cried:  "Reform  for  ever!"  and 
were  interfering  between  the  troops  and  the  people. 
The  King  placed  the  utmost  confidence  in  the 
National  Guard,  and  this  news  amazed  and  con- 
founded him.  He  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  out 
through  the  principal  streets,  but  was  everywhere 
received  with  silence  or  marks  of  dissatisfaction. 
On  returning  to  the  Tuileries  an  irregular  council 
was  held,  interrupted  every  moment  by  new  arrivals 
bringing  contradictory  reports  as  to  the  state  of  the 
capital,  and  progress  of  the  insurrection.  The  re- 
placing of  Guizot  by  Mole  had  had  no  effect.  And 
Thiers,  leader  of  the  Opposition,  and  Odillon  Barrot 
pledged  themselves  that  if  the  King  would  make 
them  Ministers,  and  order  the  troops  to  cease  fir- 
ing on  the  people,  the  insurrection  would  cease  at 
once. 

The  following  of  this  fatal  advice  led  to  the  ruin 
of  the  King's  cause  and  his  dethronement,  for  more 
than  a  change  of  ministry  was  required  to  pacify  the 
people  of  Paris. 

The  Republicans  had  spent  the  night  in  organising 

266 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

a  general  rising ;  the  Municipal  Guard  alone  was 
loyal  to  the  King,  for  the  regulars,  disgusted  at 
their  forced  inaction,  and  at  being  left  for  hours  in 
the  street  without  food  or  drink,  were  beginning, 
at  many  posts  in  the  city,  to  fraternise  with  the 
mob. 

While  the  King,  worn  out  with  fatigue,  lay  down 
without  undressing  on  a  sofa,  to  snatch  a  little  sleep, 
groups  in  the  anti-chambers  were  already  discussing 
the  possibilities  of  his  pacifying  the  insurrection,  or 
the  contingent  necessity  of  his  abdication.  Next 
mornino:  he  awoke  to  hear  that  the  mob  had  sacked 
his  old  ancestral  home,  the  Palais  Royal.  The  tocsin 
was  sounding,  news  came  that  there  had  been  much 
street  fighting  and  many  lives  lost.  The  King  was 
overwhelmed,  so  secure  had  he  felt  in  his  position. 

Marie  Amelie  showed  herself  equal  to  the  position 
and  endeavoured  to  arouse  him.  "  Come,"  she  said, 
"place  yourself  at  the  head  of  the  troops,  who  are 
disgusted  by  forced  inaction,  rally  the  National  Guard, 
who  are  wavering  ;  ^  I  and  our  daughters  and  grand- 
children will  place  ourselves  on  the  balcony,  and  if 
you  fail,  will  see  you  die  in  a  manner  worthy  of  your- 
self and  your  Throne ! "  All  the  Queen's  pride  of 
race  and  love  for  her  husband  and  children  con- 
centrated itself  in  this  passionate  appeal.  In  her 
opinion  their  life  came  second  to  their  honour.  Her 
white  hair  contrasting  with  the  fire  of  her  eyes  and 
the  colour  of  her  cheeks,  flushed  with  emotion,  made 
her  a  tragic  figure. 

1  Subsequently  they  fought  gallantly  and  were  all  massacred. 

267 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  King  asked  her  to  trust  to  his  wisdom  and 
experience  to  know  how  to  deal  with  the  situation. 

To  Marshal  Bugeaud,  who  implored  to  be  allowed 
to  put  the  100,000  troops  at  his  command  to  action, 
and  use  force  to  restore  order,  the  King  replied : 
"  I  do  not  wish  French  blood  to  be  spilled  for  my 
cause  ". 

The  day  wore  on,  and  the  King,  in  neglige  cos- 
tume, joined  his  family  at  dinner.  The  noise  and 
uproar  in  the  city  were  heard  drawing  nearer,  and 
the  meal  was  interrupted  by  the  unceremonious  en- 
trance of  three  Ministers,  who  exclaimed :  "  Sire, 
you  must  know  the  truth,  you  deceive  yourself  as 
to  the  safety  of  yourself  and  family.  A  few  hundred 
yards  from  your  palace  your  dragoons  are  giving  their 
guns  and  swords  to  the  mob,^  who  are  marching  on 
the  Tuileries." 

"  Impossible,"  cried  the  King. 

"  We  have  seen  it,"  was  the  reply. 

The  King  rose  from  the  table  and  went  to  his 
Cabinet,  and  held  council  with  Thiers,  Remusat, 
Lamorci^re,  the  Due  de  Montpensier  and  others. 
The  Due  de  Montpensier  took  a  very  prominent 
part  in  the  discussions,  urging  his  father  to  an- 
nounce further  concessions  or  to  abdicate. 

A  prolonged  fusillade  was  heard  outside,  and  a 
cannon  ball  struck  the  roof  of  the  Tuileries.  The 
King's  apartment  was   crowded,    indescribable   con- 

^  The  troops  had  been  in  the  street  from  Tuesday  morning  to 
Wednesday  night  without  food  or  drink.  The  populace  supplied 
their  wants,  and  they  fraternised, 

268 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

fusion  prevailed,  every  one  giving  an  opinion  to 
which  no  one  else  listened.  Members  of  the  house- 
hold, the  late  Ministry,  courtiers,  councillors,  officers, 
the  Princesses  and  their  children,  had  gathered 
there. 

At  this  crisis  Emile  Girardin  burst  uncere- 
moniously into  the  apartment,  said  that  an  immense 
concourse  was  marching  on  the  Tuileries,  and  ab- 
dication alone  could  save  the  lives  of  the  King  and 
his  family.  Others  cried :  "  There  is  not  a  moment 
to  lose  ". 

The  Queen  alone  retained  her  dignity  and  com- 
posure. Having  found  that  words  had  no  effect,  she 
retired  into  the  recess  of  a  window  and  looked  at  the 
King  with  an  indignant  expression,  and  tears  in  her 
eyes. 

What  impulse  possessed  the  King  it  is  impossible 
to  say.  He  was  old,  bewildered  by  the  sudden  and 
unexpected  catastrophe,  perhaps  weary  of  fighting. 
After  a  short  pause  he  said :  "I  will  abdicate  in 
favour  of  my  grandson,  the  Comte  de  Paris  ". 

The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  threw  herself  on  her 
knees  and  implored  him  not  to  take  this  step. 

The  King  seated  himself  at  a  table.  The  Due  de 
Montpensier  put  a  pen  into  his  father's  hand  and 
urged  him  not  to  delay.  Louis  Philippe  wrote  the 
abdication  slowly  and  carefully,  though  he  afterwards 
said:  "  Eager  eyes  followed  every  word  I  wrote  as 
if  to  hasten  me,  and  there  were  cries  of  '  You  have  not 
a  moment  to  lose,  Sire '  ". 

The  words  written  were  :  "  I  abdicate,  in  favour 

269 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  my  grandson,  the  Comte  de  Paris,  the  crown  which 
the  will  of  the  nation  called  upon  me  to  wear.  May 
he,  more  fortunate  than  myself,  fill  for  the  happiness 
of  France  the  high  office  that  now  devolves  on  him  ". 
Having  signed  it,  Louis  Philippe  pushed  the  paper, 
with  an  impatient  gesture,  towards  the  Due  de  Mont- 
pensier,  who  handed  it  to  a  Minister ;  then  rising,  he 
deposited  his  sword  and  orders  on  the  table,  and 
joined  the  Queen  at  the  window.^ 

The  King's  adherents  seemed  dumbfounded,  but 
there  were  others  who  urged  the  necessity  of  his 
immediate  departure,  and  would  hardly  allow  him 
time  to  go  to  his  room  to  remove  his  uniform  and 
put  on  a  plain  black  coat.  Having  done  so,  with 
the  Queen  on  his  arm,  he  passed  slowly  through 
the  corridor  to  the  Pavilion  de  I'Horloge. 

Louis  Philippe,  as  a  man,  was  personally  popular. 
The  bravest  soldiers  had  tears  in  their  eyes,  as  they 
pressed  forward  to  kiss  the  hands  of  their  late  sove- 
reigns ;  those  who  could  not  do  this  kissed  some  part 
of  their  clothing,  sobbing. 

The  Queen  preserved  her  composure  and  dignified 
manner,  but  to  Thiers '"  she  said  :  "  Ah,  Monsieur,  you 
were  not  worthy  of  such  a  good  King !  " 

At   the   door   of  his   apartment   Louis   Philippe 

^  Had  the  Due  d'0rl6ans,  "  Chartres,"  been  alive,  this  calamity 
would  never  have  happened.  He  would  have  died,  if  necessary, 
defending  the  crown  to  which  he  was  heir.  He  often  said :  "  My 
ideas  as  to  revolutions  are  well  known.  March  straight  upon  the 
insurgents,  get  to  the  end  and  the  bottom,  and  do  it  promptly." 

2  Leader  of  the  Opposition,  prime  cause  of  the  downfall. 

270 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

had  turned  to  his  daughter-iu-law  ^  who  would  have 
followed  them,  saying,  "No,  Helene,  you  must  stay 
here  ". 

The  Due  de  Montpensier,  Duchesse  de  Nemours, 
Princess  Clementine  of  Saxe-Cobourg  and  her  hus- 
band, six  grandchildren,  carried  by  persons  of  the  suite, 
the  King's  aids-de-camp,  many  officers  of  the  house- 
hold, some  deputies  and  faithful  friends  followed  the 
venerable  pair  as  they  walked  slowly,  escorted  by  the 
National  Guard,  through  the  garden  to  the  terrace 
gate,  where  carriages  had  been  ordered  to  await  them. 
But  there  were  no  carriages,  the  mob  had  already 
burned  part  of  the  stables,  killed  the  outriders  and 
seized  the  landaus ;  but  one  of  the  officers  managed 
to  get  hold  of  two  one  horse  broughams  and  a  cab- 
riolet, and  brought  them  to  the  entrance  where  the 
royal  party  were  waiting,  in  a  very  precarious  position, 
among  a  crowd  every  moment  increasing. 

At  this  juncture  Marie  Am^lie's  fortitude  gave 
way,  she  burst  into  sobs,  trembled,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  fainting,  and  the  King  had  to  lift  her  into 
the  carriage  which  just  then  arrived  ;  he  seated  him- 
self beside  her,  and  the  rest  of  the  party  bestowed 
themselves  in  the  other  carriages.^  At  the  last  moment 
the  little  Due  d'Alen^on  (son  of  Nemours)  was  pushed 
through  the  window  on  to  the  King's  lap  ;  a  squadron 
of  cuirassiers  cleared  the  way  and  accompanied  the 
carriages,  which  set  out  at  full  gallop  to  St.  Cloud. 

1  Duchesse  d' Orleans. 

2  There  was  no  room  for  Princess  Clementine  and  her  husband, 
who  went  on  foot  to  the  railway  station  and  got  away. 

271 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  horses  of  two  of  the  escort  were  shot  at  and 
killed  en  route.  At  the  Pont  des  Invalides  an  armed 
band  of  insurgents  made  some  attempt  to  stop  the 
cortege,  but  retired  before  the  determined  attitude 
of  the  cuirassiers,  and  the  fugitives  arrived  safely  at 
St.  Cloud. 

General  St.  Ang^ly  and  General  Carrelet  had 
ridden  on  either  side  of  the  carriage  in  which  the 
King  and  Queen  were  seated  ;  at  St.  Cloud,  Louis 
Philippe  dismissed  them  and  the  escort.  The  parting 
was  pathetic  and  emotional  on  both  sides.  Louis 
Philippe  commanding  them  to  go  to  the  Due  de  Ne- 
mours, the  regent,  for  further  orders. 

At  St.  Cloud  the  royal  family  examined  their 
resources  and  found  that,  having  come  away  so  hastily, 
when  all  pockets  were  turned  out,  altogether  there 
was  not  enough  money  to  pay  for  posthorses  to  Eu. 
However,  the  postmaster^  of  Versailles  was  loyal 
and  devoted,  and  sent  the  late  King  twenty-eight 
horses  and  said  :  "  These  are  the  best  horses  in 
my  stable,  drive  them  till  they  drop  if  necessary ; 
do  not  think  of  my  loss,  only  save  yourselves, 
Sire." 

They  set  out  for  Dreux,  and  arrived  at  nightfall. 
When  the  Prefect,  who  knew  nothing  of  what  had  oc- 
curred, presented  himself  to  inquire  as  to  the  reason 
of  this  unannounced  arrival  at  an  untimely  hour, 
Louis  Philippe  said:  "I  am  no  longer   King.     But 

^  A  contrast  to  the  postmaster  at  St.  Menehold  who  stopped  the 
flight  of  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  Antoinette,  sent  them  back  to  Paris 
and  the  scaffold. 

272 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

I  trust  you  in  my  days  of  adversity  as  I  did  in  days 
of  prosperity.  Then  with  much  emotion  and  indig- 
nation he  related  all  that  had  happened.  The  two 
officials  were  overwhelmed  with  grief  ;  they  hastened 
to  provide  all  that  was  necessary,  borrowing  from 
the  townspeople,  furniture,  linen,  clothing,  jjlate 
and  food,  for  the  chateau  was  under  repair  and 
empty. 

The  Sub-Prefect  also  provided  the  King  with 
money,  some  hundreds  of  pounds,  and  posted  a 
guard  around  the  chateau  for  security. 

The  King  believed  that  his  abdication  would  have 
put  an  end  to  the  insurrection  in  Paris,  and  wished 
to  wait  at  Dreux  for  news.  During  the  night  a 
friend  of  the  Prefect's  arrived  from  Paris,  and  an- 
nounced that  hardly  had  the  royal  family  gone,  when 
the  mob  swarmed  into  the  Tuileries,  sacked  and 
devastated  it,  destroying  everything^  but  the  throne, 
which  they  carried  in  derision  through  the  streets  ;  and 
that  the  Chambers  had  refused  to  accept  the  Comte 
de  Paris  and  a  regency,  and  had  declared  a  Republic. 

History  repeats  itself.  It  is  impossible  that  at 
this  juncture  Louis  Philippe  could  have  failed  to 
realise  that  the  fate  that  had  overtaken  him, 
was  precisely  the  same  as  that  of  his  predecessor, 

^  Except  the  apartments  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orl^ans.  About  to 
enter,  they  were  told  who  was  the  occupant,  and  retired  with  ex- 
pressions of  respect,  posting  a  guard  to  prevent  further  intrusion. 
The  widowed  Duchess  was  much  touched  by  this  proof  of  the 
affection  inspired  by  her  husband's  memory,  even  at  such  a  time 
of  excitement. 

273  18 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Charles  X./  whose  place  he  had  taken,  and  by  whose 
example  he  had  failed  to  profit. 

The  Prefect  went  early  to  give  the  news  to  Louis 
Philippe,  who  was  still  in  bed.  Marie  Amdlie  had 
regained  her  courage,  or  rather  exchanged  it  for 
resignation,  and  contrived  to  console  the  King  and 
soften  the  bitterness  of  this  latest  blow. 

A  council  was  held  around  the  King's  bed,  and  it 
was  agreed  that  the  family  must  separate,  so  as  to 
avoid  attracting  notice  on  the  way,  and  get  without 
delay  to  the  coast. 

The  King  and  Queen  were  to  go  by  by-roads  to 
-a  friend's  cottage  near  Honfleur,  and  await  a  chance 
to  cross  to  England. 

The  Due  de  Montpensier  was  to  accompany  the 
Duchesse  de  Nemours  and  the  children  to  Avranches, 
thence  by  Channel  Isles  to  England. 

The  daughter  of  the  Duchesse  de  Nemours  was 
with  the  Princess  Clementine  of  Saxe-Cobourg  and 
her  husband,  who,  finding  no  room  in  the  carriages 
that  conveyed  the  rest  of  the  royal  family  from  the 
Tuileries,  had  managed  to  make  their  way  on  foot  to 
a  railway  station,  and  took  train  to  Versailles,  where 
they  went  straight  to  the  Prefecture  and  placed 
themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  Prefect,  to 
have  them  conveyed  in  safety  to  Eu,  whence  they 
found  their  way  to  England  after  a  while. 

So  little  had  she  anticipated  the  turn  that  events 

1  Charles  X.  abdicated  in  favour  of  the  Due  de  Bordeaux,  his 
grandson,  as  Louis  Phihppe  had  done  for  the  Comte  de  Paris,  his 
grandson. 

274 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

would  take  in  Paris,  and  the  necessity  of  immediate 
flight,  that  Marie  Am^lie  had  ordered  and  meant  to 
attend  a  mass  in  memory  of  her  eldest  son,  who  lay 
buried  in  the  Mausoleum  of  the  d'Orleans  family  at 
Dreux.     This  intention  she  was  unable  to  carry  out. 

They  decided  to  leave  behind  the  carriages  in 
which  they  had  come  to  Dreux,  and  to  borrow  one 
from  a  friend  there  that  would  be  less  noticeable. 

The  King  shaved  off  his  whiskers,  and  discarded 
his  wig,  appearing  as  bald  as  nature  made  him.  These 
alterations,  and  a  costume  consisting  of  close  cap,  a 
cloak  and  goggles,  were  a  very  effectual  disguise. 

The  Queen  also  dressed  herself  in  the  plainest  and 
least  noticeable  style. 

Preparations  were  made  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  when  all  was  ready  the  King  and  Queen,  M.  de 
Eumigny  the  aide-de-camp,  and  the  Queen  s  fevime  de 
chambj'e,  got  into  a  closed  carriage,  and  the  Prefect, 
M.  Marechal,  mounted  on  the  box. 

At  Anat  he  was  able  to  procure  passports  under  a 
feigned  name,  also  a  further  supply  of  money,  £400. 

At  St.  Andre  it  was  market  day.  The  relays 
were  not  ready.  Rumours  spread  that  the  hated 
Guizot  was  in  the  carriage.  A  threatening  crowd 
assembled.  Gendarmes  seemed  doubtful  when  pass- 
ports were  presented. 

M.  Marechal  was  well  known  in  the  district.  He 
took  one  of  the  gendarmes  aside  and  confided  in  him, 
flattered  his  vanity  and  aroused  his  sympathy.  This 
man  declared  the  passports  were  correct  and  dis- 
persed the  crowd. 

275 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

At  Evreux,  fearing  more  difficulty,  M.  Marechal 
dared  not  take  the  party  through  the  town,  and  drove 
to  a  farmhouse  on  the  estate  of  a  friend. 

The  farmer  was  let  into  the  secret,  and  showed 
good  feeling  and  devotion.  He  entered  warmly  into 
M.  Marechal's  plans,  offered  his  own  horses,  har- 
nessed them  to  the  King's  carriage,  and  drove  them 
himself,  and  found  a  trustworthy  friend  to  provide 
another  vehicle  and  to  take  the  Queen  by  another 
route. 

After  driving  all  night  on  different  roads  the  King 
and  Queen  met  again  at  their  destination,  a  small 
cottage  belonging  to  a  friend.  It  was  hidden  among 
trees,  not  far  from  Honfleur.  Here  they  remained 
nine  days,  with  closed  shutters,  only  lighting  a  fire 
at  night,  so  that  smoke  should  not  be  seen  and  lead 
any  one  to  imagine  the  house  was  inhabited. 

M.  Lamartine  denies  that  these  precautions  were 
necessary.  He  says :  "At  the  first  sitting  of  the 
Provisional  Government,^  the  first  question  that  came 
up  was  the  treatment  of  the  dethroned  King.  The 
decision  was  unanimous  that  he  must  be  protected 
from  violence,  and  his  private  property  from  con- 
fiscation. That  he  was  to  be  allowed  to  retire 
whither  he  willed,  and  as  soon  as  his  whereabouts 
could  be  discovered  he  was  to  be  provided  with 
necessary  funds  and  suitable  escort  to  conduct  him 
to  a  place  of  embarkation.  Lamartine  was  charged 
to  carry  out  this  office.  There  was  placed  at  his 
disposal  300,000  francs  from  the  Treasury  and  four 

1  Of  which  he  was  the  President. 
276 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

trustworthy  commissioners,  M.  Oscar  Lafayette,  Fer- 
dinand Lasteyrie,  Champonneux  and  Durgand,  who 
respected  the  Throne  and  sympathised  with  the  mis- 
fortunes of  the  dethroned  King  and  his  family,  to 
hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  start.  A  travelling 
carriage  was  also  held  in  readiness.  Inquiries  were 
made  of  the  late  King's  personal  friends,  but  whether 
from  suspicion  of  the  motives  prompting  the  inquiries 
or  not,  all  professed  complete  ignorance. 

Meanwhile,  hearing  nothing  of  these  good  in- 
tentions, Generals  Rumigny  and  Dumas  were  seeking 
the  means  of  safe  transit  to  England  for  the  late 
King  and  Queen. 

The  King,  fearing  to  be  recognised  and  arrested 
in  Havre,  went  on  foot  to  Trouville.  A  merchant, 
M.  Gualtier,  sheltered  him  for  two  days  and  advised 
hiring  a  fishing  boat  to  take  them  out  to  sea,  there  to 
board  an  English  steamer.  The  first  master  of  a  boat 
had  suspicions  and  asked  an  exorbitant  price,  and 
was  dismissed.  The  next  applied  to  also  suspected 
who  the  passengers  might  be,  and  offered  his  boat 
gratuitously,  and  it  was  thankfully  accepted.  The 
first,  however,  in  revenge  for  the  refusal  of  his  boat, 
spread  reports  in  the  town  that  the  King  was  there 
in  hiding.  Hearing  of  these  rumours,  Louis  Philippe 
left  the  merchant's  house  and  went  alone  on  foot, 
through  mud  and  rain  on  a  dark  night  back  to  the 
cottage  where  the  Queen  was  hidden. 

A  young  naval  officer,  M.  Bresson,  at  Havre,  heard 
rumours  which  led  him  to  put  the  English  Consul 
into  communication  with  the  King. 

277 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  captain  of  an  English  steamer  going  from 
Southampton  to  Havre  was  asked  if  he  would  take  on 
board  passengers  approaching  him  in  a  fishing  boat 
some  distance  from  shore.  He  refused,  but  com- 
municated these  overtures  to  the  Admiralty.  Lord 
Palmerston  in  consequence  wrote  to  the  British  Con- 
suls at  all  the  northern  ports  of  France  to  do  all  they 
could  to  help  the  King  to  cross.  The  result  of  these 
orders  could  not  be  better  told  than  by  transcribing 
the  letter  written  by  Mr.  Featherstonhaugh,  British 
Consul  at  Havre,  to  Lord  Palmerston,  who  afterwards 
remarked  that  it  equalled  the  best  of  Walter  Scott's 
tales. 

"  Havre,  3rd  March,  1848. 

"  My  dear  Lord  Palmerston,  it  was  a  hair-trigger 
affair  altogether,  but  thanks  be  to  God  everything 
has  gone  off  admirably.  I  was  obliged  to  abandon 
the  plan  of  trusting  the  King  in  a  fishing  boat  from 
Trouville.  Had  he  attempted  to  find  the  steamer 
he  might  have  failed,  the  weather  was  very  stormy, 
the  sea  in  a  furious  state,  and  the  wind  ahead,  so 
there  was  also  the  danger  of  the  fishing  boat  being 
lost. 

"  I  therefore  abandoned  the  plan,  and  after  much 
and  careful  reflection  determined  to  execute  one  more 
within  my  control,  and  the  boldness  of  which  though 
trying  to  the  nerves  was  its  very  essence  of  success. 
It  was  to  bring  the  King  and  Queen  into  Havre  itself 
before  anybody  could  suspect  such  a  dangerous  in- 
tention and  have  everything  ready  for  their  embarka- 

278 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

tion  to  a  minute.  To  carry  out  the  plan  I  wanted 
vigilant,  intelligent  and  firm  agents  and  I  found 
them. 

"It  was  known  to  me  that  the  lower  classes  sus- 
pected that  it  was  M.  Guizot  who  was  in  hiding  at 
Trouville,  and  as  some  sinister  occurrence  might  be 
expected  there,  I  sent  a  faithful  person  into  Calvados. 
It  was  high  time. 

"  The  mob  had  assembled  at  the  house  where  the 
King  was,  who  had  to  slip  out  at  the  back  door  and 
walk  two  leagues  till  he  reached  the  cottage  near 
Honfleur  where  the  Queen  was. 

"  At  half- past  six  yesterday  morning  my  agent  saw 
the  King  and  Queen,  who  after  some  conversation 
sent  him  back  to  me  with  this  message  :  '  That  they 
would  wait  where  they  were  until  they  heard  again 
from  me,  and  would  carry  out  my  final  arrangements 
with  exactitude  as  far  as  it  depended  on  them '.  I 
now  instructed  Captain  Paul  to  be  ready  at  half-past 
seven  p.m.  when  it  would  be  dark,  to  have  his  water 
hot,  ready  to  get  up  steam  ;  to  have  only  a  rope  moored 
to  the  quay  with  an  anchor  astern  ;  to  expect  me  with 
a  party  a  little  before  eight  p.m.,  and  as  soon  as  I  had 
got  on  board  with  my  party  and  told  him  to  push  off", 
he  was  to  let  me  go  on  shore,  cut  his  rope  and  cable, 
get  into  the  middle  of  the  basin,  up  with  his  steam 
and  jib  and  push  for  England. 

"  Not  a  word  was  to  be  spoken  on  board.  To  get 
the  King  here  from  Honfleur,  the  following  method 
was  adopted :  M.  Bresson,  a  loyal  and  intelligent 
officer  in  the  French  navy,  well  known  to  the  King, 

279 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  Mr.  Jones,  my  vice-consul,  went  in  the  steam  ferry- 
boat  at  a  quarter  to  five   to    Honfieur.     From   the 
landing  place  it  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  place 
where  the  King  and  Queen  were  concealed.    The  ferry- 
boat was  to  leave  Honfieur  for  Havre  at  a  quarter 
before  seven.     I  had  given  M.  Bresson  a  passport  for 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith,  and  with  this  passport  the  King 
was  to  walk  to  the  landing  place,  where  he  was  to  be 
met  by  my  vice-consul  and  be  governed  by  him.     If 
the  gendarmes  disputed  the  passport,  Mr.  Jones  was 
to  vouch  for  its  regularity  and  say  I  had  sent  him 
to  conduct  my  uncle,  Mr.  Smith,  to  Havre.     M.  Bres- 
son was  to  follow  with  the  Queen,  and  the  suite  were 
to  come  to  the  ferry-boat  one  after  another,  but  were 
not  to  know  each  other.    The  ferry-boat  was  to  arrive 
at  Havre  at  half-past  seven,  a  white  handkerchief  was 
to  be  twice  exhibited  as  a  signal  that  all  was  right  so 
far.    The  difficulty  with  the  gendarmes  being  infinitely 
more  to  be  apprehended  and  provided  against  here  than 
there.    I  first  confidentially  communicated  to  the  great- 
est gossips  in  the  town  that  I  had  seen  a  written  state- 
ment from  an  official  person  that  the  King  had  reached 
England  in  a  fishing  boat  from  Treport,  and  I  then 
got  some  persons  whom  I  could  rely  upon,  sons  of  my 
tradesmen  here,  who  are  in  the  National  Guard,  to 
be  near  the  steamer  that  was  to  receive  the  King,  to 
give  me  their  assistance  if  it  should  be  necessary  on 
account  of  the  turbulence  of  the  crowd,  to  embark 
some   friends  of  mine  who  were  going  to   England. 
And  if  an  extj-aordinary  number  of  gendarmes  were 
stationed  at  the  steamer  and  made  a  difficulty  about 

280 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

letting  my  uncle  go  on  board,  then  about  100  yards 
off'  I  had  two  persons  who  were  to  pretend  a  (juarrel 
and  begin  a  fight,  to  which  I  knew  the  gendarmes 
and  the  crowd  would  go  at  once.  But  I  hoped  that  as 
Captain  Paul  made  no  noise  with  his  steam,  no  crowd 
or  extra  gendarmes  would  assemble.  The  anxiously 
expected  moment  then  arrived.  The  ferry-boat  came 
to  the  quay,  and  though  it  was  dark  I  distinguished 
the  white  handkerchief.  There  was  a  great  number 
of  passengers,  which  favoured  the  debarcation. 
When  half  of  them  were  out,  the  trembling  Queen 
came  up  the  ladder.  I  took  her  hand,  telling  her 
who  I  was,  and  M.  Bresson  walked  with  her  towards 
our  steamer. 

**At  last  came  the  King,  disguised,  his  whiskers 
shaved  off",  a  sort  of  casquette  on  his  head  and 
immense  goggles  over  his  eyes,  and  wearing  a  coarse 
overcoat.  Not  being  able  to  see  well,  he  stumbled,  so 
I  advanced,  took  his  hand  and  said  :  '  Ah,  dear  uncle, 
I  am  delighted  to  see  you ',  upon  which  he  answered  : 
*  My  dear  George,  I  am  glad  you  are  here '.  The 
English  about  me  now  opened  the  crowd  for  their 
consul  and  his  uncle,  and  I  moved  off  to  a  quiet, 
shaded  part  of  the  quay.  But  my  uncle  talked 
so  loud  and  so  much  that  I  had  the  greatest  difficulty 
to  make  him  keep  silence.  At  length  we  reached 
the  steamer ;  it  was  like  a  clockwork  movement,  the 
crowd  was  again  opened  before  me.  I  conducted 
the  King  to  a  state-room  below,  gave  him  some  in- 
formation, and  having  personally  ascertained  that  the 
Queen  was  in  her  cabin,  and  being  very  much  touched 

281 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

with  her  tears  and  grateful  acknowledgments,  I  re- 
spectfully took  leave,  gave  the  captain  word  to  cut 
loose,  and  scrambled  ashore.  In  twenty  minutes  the 
steamer  was  outside,  steaming  away  for  England.  I 
drove  down  to  the  jetty  and  had  the  last  satisfaction 
of  seeing  her  beyond  the  possibility  of  recall,  and 
then  drove  home.  Information  has  just  reached  me 
that  one  hour  after  the  King  and  Queen  left  their 
hiding  place,  the  cottage,  last  night,  and  just  as  I 
was  embarking  them,  an  officer  and  three  gendarmes 
went  to  the  cottage  to  arrest  him.  They  were  sent 
by  the  new  Republican  Prefect.^  It  appears  that  the 
merchant  who  had  given  him  shelter  at  Trouville, 
betrayed  his  place  of  retreat  at  Honfleur.  What  an 
escape  !  Here  no  one  has  any  proof.  Only  four  of 
us  were  in  the  secret,  and  we  know  nothing  of  Louis 
Philippe,  only  of  Mr.  Smith.  People  are  much 
mystified,  many  suspect,  but  almost  every  one  is 
delighted  to  think  the  King  may  have  escaped. 

'*  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  etc., 

''G.  W.  Featherstonhaugh." 

After  a  terribly  rough  passage  the  King  and 
Queen  arrived  safely  at  Newhaven.  When  Louis 
Philippe  set  foot  on  shore  he  exclaimed:  "Thank 
God  !  I  am  on  British  ground ! "  They  drove  to  a 
little  inn,  where  the  landlady  received  them  so  kindly 

^  Lamartine  said  the  Prefect  must  have  acted  on  his  own 
initiative.  The  Provisional  Government  had  given  no  such  orders, 
and  were  ignorant  of  it. 

282 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

and  respectfully  that  they  were  quite  touched,  and 
though  many  persons  came  to  pay  their  respects,  and 
better  accommodation  was  offered,  they  determined  not 
to  move  till  they  received  answers  to  letters  addressed 
to  the  Queen  of  England. 


283 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Arrival  of  the  King  and  Queen  in  England,  followed  by  that  of 
other  Members  of  the  Family — Their  Adventures  en  route — 
Kindness  of  Queen  Victoria,  who  gives  them  a  Eesidence  at 
Claremont — Life  at  Claremont — Opinion  of  Europe  as  to 
Abdication — Death  of  Louis  Philippe — Marie  Amelie's  Visits 
to  the  Continent — Her  Meeting  with  the  Comte  de  Chambord 
— Death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Nemours — Celebration  of  Marie 
Amelie's  seventy-fifth  Birthday. 

On  arriving  at  Newhaven  the  whole  party  were  un- 
provided with  anything  but  the  clothes  they  wore, 
and  General  Dumas  had  to  go  at  once  to  London  to 
interview  the  King's  banker. 

The  King's  first  care  was  to  write  to  Queen 
Victoria  and  ask  for  a  place  of  refuge  for  himself 
and  Marie  Amelie,  as  Comte  and  Comtesse  de 
Neuilly. 

Marie  Amelie  also  wrote  to  the  Queen,  as  fol- 
lows:— 

"  Newhaven,  Srd  March,  1848. 

**  Having  arrived  on  these  hospitable  shores,  after 
nine  days  of  agony,  my  first  thought,  after  returning 
thanks  to  Providence,  is  to  thank  your  Majesty  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart,  for  the  facilities  placed  at 
our  disposal,  to  enable  us  to  come  to  this  country  to 
pass  our  old  age  in  tranquillity  and  oblivion. 

284 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

"  I  am  tormented  with  anxiety  to  know  what  has 
befallen  my  dear  children,  from  whom  we  were 
obliged  to  separate ;  I  feel  confidence  that  your 
Majesty's  generous  heart  has  come  to  their  assist- 
ance, and  that  they  have  been  saved,  as  their  ad- 
mirable father,  my  chief  treasure,  has  been. 

"  May  God  bless  you,  Madame,  as  well  as  Prince 
Albert  and  your  children,  and  preserve  you  from  mis- 
fortunes such  as  ours ;  this  is  the  sincere  wish  of  one 
who  is,  Madame,  entirely  devoted  to  your  Majesty. 

"  (Signed)     Marie  Am^ie. ' ' 

Queen  Victoria  hastened  to  answer  both  letters 
in  the  kindest  terms,  and  in  concurrence  with  the 
King  of  the  Belgians,  to  place  Claremont  at  their  dis- 
posal as  a  residence.  Claremont  was  an  appanage  of 
the  Crown,  and  had  been  granted  to  Prince  Leopold 
of  Saxe-Cobourg  for  life,  on  his  first  marriage  to  the 
Princess  Charlotte  of  Wales. 

The  ex-King  and  Queen  went  at  once  to  Clare- 
mont. On  their  journey  great  respect  was  shown 
wherever  they  were  recognised,  everybody  taking  off 
their  hats. 

Shortly  afterwards  Lord  Malmesbury  went  to 
visit  them.  He  records  in  his  journal :  ''  We  went  to 
Claremont  to  pay  our  respects  to  the  exiled  sovereigns. 
We  were  shown  into  the  drawing-room.  Mme.  de 
Montjoie^  came  in  at  once  and  said,  the  King  and 
Queen  were  busy  writing  ;  however,  in  a  few  minutes 
they  entered.     They  were  looking  well  in  health  but 

1  Marie  Amelie's  lady-in-waiting  and  lifelong  friend. 

285 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

in  wretchedly  low  spirits  ;  the  King  in  particular 
could  hardly  hold  up  his  head." 

The  Prince  Consort,  on  behalf  of  the  Queen,  went 
down  to  Claremont  on  the  7th  of  March  ;  the  ex- King 
and  Queen  visited  Queen  Victoria  at  Buckingham 
Palace.  She  wrote  to  her  uncle  ;  "  They  both  look 
very  dejected,  and  the  poor  Queen  cried  much  in 
thinking  of  what  she  had  gone  through,  and  what 
dangers  the  King  had  incurred ;  in  short,  humbled, 
poor  people  they  looked." 

Amidst  the  sympathy  evoked  by  the  downfall  of 
Louis  Philippe,  rightly  or  wrongly,  the  idea  of  Ne- 
mesis obtruded  itself :  that  his  fate  was  identical  with 
that  from  which  he  had  not  saved  his  predecessor 
Charles  X.^ 

The  King  of  Prussia  wrote  to  Queen  Victoria  : 
"  The  fate  of  the  poor  old  King  and  the  whole  honour- 
able and  respectable  family  cuts  me  to  the  heart.  We 
owe  Louis  Philippe  eighteen  happy  years  of  peace. 
No  noble  heart  must  forget  that.  And  yet,  who 
would  not  recognise  the  avenging  hand  of  the  King 
of  Kings  in  all  this  ? " 

There  was  also  a  general  feeling  that  the  abdi- 
cation had  been  precipitate  and  premature.  Members 
of  the  family  felt  that  had  the  Due  dAumale  or  Prince 
de  Joinville  been  in  France  a  bolder  policy  would 
have  been  followed.  The  immense  body  of  troops  at 
the  King's  disposal  only  needed  a  leader,  and  the 
Due  d'Aumale  also  was  in  Algeria  at  the  head  of  a 

1  For  Marie  Am61ie  the  greate3t  sympathy,  and  also  admiration, 
was  felt  by  all. 

286 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

large  army  entirely  devoted  to  him,  who  burned  to  be 
allowed  to  return  to  France  to  fight  for  his  dynasty. 
He  showed  great  patriotism  in  not  yielding  to  their 
entreaties,  being  desirous  to  avoid  civil  war,  but 
neither  he  nor  the  King's  abdication  prevented  that ; 
the  sacrifice  was  unavailing.  Under  the  name  of  the 
Republic,  complete  anarchy  reigned  in  France,  and  in 
the  terrible  strife  that  ensued  more  lives  were  lost 
than  in  any  of  Napoleon's  battles,  and  the  number  of 
generals  who  perished  exceeded  those  cut  off  at  Boro- 
dino or  Waterloo. 

The  Prince  de  Joinville  would  not  have  let  his 
father  relinquish  the  crown  without  a  blow,  but  he 
had  foreseen  that  a  struggle  was  imminent  and  tried 
to  open  his  father's  eyes  in  vain.  He  said  that  the 
people  were  tired  of  the  Government,  that  the  rest- 
less nature  of  the  French  people  made  them  welcome 
any  and  all  changes.  Certain  it  is  that  they  were 
now  bent  on  ruining  all  the  prosperity  that  had  been 
built  up  during  eighteen  years  of  peace,  and  trying  in 
succession  various  forms  of  Government,  without 
changing  the  French  temperament,  and  thus  alienat- 
ing the  confidence  of  foreign  nations  in  the  stability 
of  any  French  Government.^ 

After  the  departure  of  the  King  and  Queen  from 
the  Tuileries  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans  and  her  two 
little  boys,  Comte  de  Paris  and  Due  de  Chartres, 
escorted  by  the  Due  de  Nemours,  went  to  the  Chamber 

^  Lord  John  Eussell  remarked  :  "  If  neither  Napoleon  nor  Louis 
PhiUppe  consolidate  a  dynasty  in  France,  who  will  ever  be  able  to 
doit? 

287 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  Deputies  to  claim  protection,  which  was  granted, 
though  the  Chamber  refused  to  recognise  the  rights 
of  the  Comte  de  Paris  or  the  regency  of  the  Due  de 
Nemours.  The  poor  children  enjoyed  the  spectacle 
as  if  they  were  at  a  play,  and  when  the  assembly 
applauded  M.  Cremieux's  speech  refusing  to  consent 
to  the  regency,  the  young  King  (Comte  de  Paris) 
seeing  a  great  number  of  people  clapping  their  hands, 
did  the  same.  Thus  his  little  hands  applauded  the 
measure  which  dethroned  him ;  a  touching  sight, 
which  did  not  pass  unnoticed  even  at  such  a  time 
of  excitement. 

During  the  Sitting  an  armed  mob  forced  their 
way  into  the  Chamber,  and  the  Deputies  formed 
themselves  into  a  hed^e  round  the  Duchess  and 
her  children.  Finally,  fresh  inroads  of  bloodthirsty 
ruffians  made  it  necessary  for  her  to  retire.  She  and 
her  children  were  almost  crushed  to  death  by  the 
crowd  and  trampled  under  foot,  and  were  separated 
from  each  other  and  from  the  Due  de  Nemours. 

M.  de  Mornay  managed  to  convey  the  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  and  Comte  de  Paris  (who  had  been  picked 
up  and  restored  to  her  by  a  National  Guard)  to  the 
Invalides,  and  then  to  the  Castle  of  Ligny  a  few 
leagues  out  of  Paris.  The  other  child,  Chartres, 
had  been  rolled  on  the  ground  and  trampled  on 
by  the  crowd  ;  he  was  rescued  by  the  devotion  of 
two  Alsatian  ushers  of  the  Assembly  and  was  re- 
stored after  three  days  to  his  mother  at  Ligny, 
from  thence  friends  escorted  them  to  the  railway 
at   Lille,    and   they   arrived    safely   at   Ems   on   the 

288 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Rhine,  where  the  mother  of  the  Duchesse  d'OrMans 
resided. 

The  rest  of  the  royal  family,  by  various  routes 
and  after  various  adventures,  found  their  way  to 
England  and  Claremont. 

The  Duchesse  de  Montpensier  encountered  many 
difficulties  and  had  hairbreadth  escapes,  and  displayed 
a  coolness  and  courage  that  excited  the  warmest 
admiration  of  her  escorts,  M.  Estancelin  and  General 
Thierry.  The  Princess  Clementine  of  Saxe-Cobourg 
and  her  husband  and  children  went  to  stay  at 
Buckingham  Palace ;  Queen  Victoria  also  invited 
the  Nemours,  but  visits  were  exchanged  only,  the 
Nemours  remaining  at  the  embassy  until  they  found 
a  cottage  at  East  Sheen,  for  the  Due  de  Nemours 
shrank  from  publicity. 

All  enmity  between  England  and  Louis  Philippe's 
projects  as  King  ceased  with  his  deposition,  and  the 
Ministers  approved  of  every  assistance  and  kindness 
being  shown  to  the  exiles,  by  the  Queen,  as  her 
relatives  and  friends  in  their  private  capacity,  though 
it  would  be  necessary  for  England  to  recognise  any 
new  government  that  could  be  established  in  France. 

France  being  in  a  state  of  confusion,  it  was  im- 
possible for  Louis  Philippe  to  get  possession  of  his 
property,  and  for  some  time  the  family  were  in  pecu- 
niary straits. 

But  eventually  he  recovered  his  property.  Any 
attempts  at  the  confiscation  of  Louis  Philippe's  pri- 
vate property  were  steadily  repulsed  by  the  Provi- 
sional Government  and  its  successors.    The  Assemblv 

V 

289  19 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

of  28th  October,  1848,  had  issued  a  decree  for  the  res- 
stitution  of  all  the  real  estate  and  personal  property  of 
the  d'Orleans  family.  An  administrator  of  approved 
loyalty,  M.  E.  Bocher,  was  appointed,  and  the  liqui- 
dation of  the  civil  list  was  carried  out  in  the  most 
honourable  and  regular  manner,  and  even  the  arrears 
of  the  dowry  of  the  Duchesse  d'Orle'ans  were  paid 
with  exactness.  It  is  believed  that  Louis  Philippe  re- 
ceived about  £1,000,000  sterling.  He  himself,  though 
accused  of  avarice,  had  saved  nothing,  having  ex- 
pended his  large  revenues  on  works  of  public  utility 
and  in  restoring  and  embellishing  the  national  pal- 
aces, the  Tuileries,  St.  Cloud,  Meudon,  Versailles  and 
Fontainebleau. 

Although  their  property  was  restored,  an  act  was 
passed  exiling  all  members  of  the  d'Orleans  family, 
and  prohibiting  their  setting  foot  on  French  soil. 
How  bitterly  this  was  felt  can  be  well  imagined. 

Claremont^  is  a  large  square  building,  with  a 
Grecian  peristyle,  situated  in  a  fine  park,  with  fine 
views  of  the  Thames  and  surrounding  county  of 
Surrey.  It  is  a  spacious  house,  and  was  able  to  ac- 
commodate the  ex-King  and  Queen  and  the  Due  and 
Duchesse  de  Nemours  and  their  children,  as  well 
as  the  Prince  and  Princess  de  Joinville  and  their 
children.  The  Due  and  Duchesse  dAumale  took 
a  house  at  Twickenham.  The  Duchesse  d'Orle'ans 
and  her  sons  remained  in  Germany  till  1850,  when 
they  took  a  house  at  Esher,  near  Claremont. 

Louis  Philippe  only  survived  his  abdication  two 
^  Now  occupied  by  the  Duchess  of  Albany. 

290 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKTE  AMELIE 

years,  and  died  at  Claremont  on  26th  August,  1850, 
aged  seventy-seven.  He  died  a  Christian's  death, 
receiving  the  Communion  and  extreme  unction,  sur- 
rounded by  his  sons  and  daughters  and  his  eleven 
grandchildren.  He  himself  had  said :  "  The  world 
will  not  do  me  justice  till  I  am  dead ".  Posterity 
has  realised  the  many  fine  qualities  of  his  complex 
character,  and  the  services  he  rendered  to  Europe  in 
combating  revolutionary  forces. 

It  was  intimated  to  Queen  Marie  Amelie  that  the 
use  of  Claremont  would  be  granted  to  her  for  her 
life,  so  she  continued  to  live  there  with  her  children 
and  grandchildren,  showing  admirable  courage,  res- 
ignation and  self-control,  and  being  the  link  which 
united  the  whole  family.  She  was  to  survive  her 
husband  for  sixteen  years. 

The  Due  de  Nemours  was  ever  the  Queen's  right 
hand,  and  the  little  Court  who  had  followed  the  family 
into  exile  remained  ever  faithful ;  death  alone  removed 
them.  Prominent  among  them  were  the  Generals 
de  Chabannes  and  de  Dumas,  the  wife  of  the  former, 
and  the  Marquises  de  Beauvoir  and  Lasteyrie,  and 
the  tutors  and  governesses  of  the  de  Nemours  and  de 
Joinville  children,  and  M.  Trognon,  formerly  tutor 
and  then  secretary  to  Prince  de  Joinville  ;  also  the 
Abbe  Guelle,  formerly  vicar  of  the  Madeleine.  At 
Claremont  he  fulfilled  the  office  of  almoner,  and 
taught  the  catechism  to  the  Queen's  grandchildren, 
and  prepared  them  for  their  first  communion,  religion 
being  in  Marie  Amelie's  opinion  the  foundation-stone 
of  education. 

291 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  Nemours  children  were  brought  up  on 
Spartan  lines,  early  rising,  cold  tubs,^  plain  food,  a 
very  severe  course  of  horsemanship  and  gymnastics 
and  swimming  exercises,  calculated  to  make  them  in 
every  respect  fearless. 

AH  the  royal  grandchildren  were  brought  up  to 
remember,  first  of  all,  that  they  were  Frenchmen. 
France  was  the  theme  of  the  daily  conversation  they 
heard  among  their  elders,  and  every  boy  and  girl  had 
to  have  the  geography  of  France  and  the  chief  events 
in  its  history  at  their  finger-ends,  as  well  as  the  gene- 
alogy of  the  French  royal  family. 

Many  visitors  from  France  came  to  Claremont, 
some  for  a  few  days,  some  for  a  few  hours.  Former 
officers  of  the  household,  old  generals,  diplomats, 
politicians,  literary  men,  old  friends  like  Raoul  de 
Montmorency  (a  great  favourite  of  Marie  Amelie), 
Ehilippe  de  Rohan  Chabot,  Anatole  de  Montesquieu, 
and  others,  too  many  to  enumerate. 

Doctor  Henri  de  Mussy  was  a  very  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  circle.  He  had  thought  to  come  to  Eng- 
land for  a  short  time,  but  yielding  to  the  pressing 
requests  of  Marie  AmeHe,  he  remained  for  twenty- 
three  years  the  family  doctor,  and  (as  the  Comte  de 
Paris  stated  in  his  will)  "  their  friend,  comforter  and 
counsellor." 

Surrounded  by  the  love  and   veneration   of   old 

friends  and  adherents,  and  with  the  varied  interests 

of  her  children  and  grandchildren  to  occupy  her  mind, 

Marie  Amelie  could  never  feel  dull  or  lonely. 

1  "  Le  r6gime  de  I'eponge  d'eau  glac6e." 

292 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Three  months  after  the  death  of  her  husband  she 
had  to  submit  to  another  sorrow,  the  death  of  her 
specially  loved  daughter,  the  Queen  of  the  Belgians, 
Marie  Amelie  had  the  consolation  of  being  able  to 
go  to  Brussels  to  be  with  her  daughter  in  her  last 
hours,  then  returned  to  Claremont.  Her  sons  and 
daughters-in-law  had  borne  their  reverse  of  fortune 
in  the  most  praiseworthy  manner.  Queen  Victoria 
wrote  :  "  Really,  the  three  Rrincesses  are  astonishing 
and  a  beautiful  lesson  to  every  one.  They  are  so  much 
admired  and  respected  for  it.  My  beloved  Vic,^  with 
her  lovely  face,  is  perfection,  and  so  cheerful.  She 
often  comes  to  see  me,  which  is  a  great  pleasure  to 
me." 

The  Revolution  of  '48  spread  throughout  Europe  ; 
Austria,  Germany,  Prussia  and  Italy  were  convulsed, 
Switzerland  in  the  throes  of  an  internecine  struggle. 
Only  Belgium  and  England  remained  unaffected,  but 
the  occupiers  of  both  thrones  felt  the  insecure  position 
of  royalty  nevertheless. 

The  King  of  the  Belgians  remarks :  "  The  posi- 
tion of  what  is  called  royalty  has  of  late  become  ex- 
tremely difficult.  They  are  more  calumniated,  and 
judged  with  less  indulgence  than  private  individuals. 
The  transition  from  sovereign  power  to  absolute  want 
has  been  as  frequent  as  sudden.  When  I  look  at  my 
poor  children,  I  feel  their  future  existence  is  on  the 
cards."  -^ 

^  Duchesse  de  Nemours, 

2  One,  the  Princess  Charlotte,  became  the  unfortunate  Empress 
of  Mexico,  whose  husband,  Maximihan,  was  executed. 

293 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Queen  Victoria  in  reply  wrote  :  "  Since  February, 
the  ^Revolution  of  '48,  I  feel  an  uncertainty  in  every- 
thing existing  which  I  never  felt  before.  When  one 
thinks  of  one's  children  and  their  future  I  say  to 
myself :  *  Let  them  grow  up  fit  for  whatever  station 
they  may  be  placed  in,  high  or  low  '.  Things  one 
would  have  complained  of  bitterly  some  months  ago 
now  seem  trifles,  provided  one  can  keep  one's  position 
in  quiet ! " 

Marie  Amelie  may  sometimes  have  felt  a  sense  of 
security  and  peace  at  Claremont,  at  all  events  the 
worst  was  behind  her,  not  still  on  the  cards.  Her 
influence  was  paramount  in  the  little  colony  at  Clare- 
mont. She  reigned  there  as  completely  as  she  had 
ever  done  at  the  Tuileries.  Sons,  daughters-in-law, 
grandchildren,  the  household,  all  were  the  objects  of 
her  solicitude.  Her  demeanour  was  a  lesson  in  itself. 
Dignity  that  was  not  without  grace,  supreme  dis- 
tinction, perfect  affability,  kindness,  an  instinctive 
tone  of  authority  all  declared  the  true  Queen.  A 
word  from  her  to  a  child  had  more  effect  than  severe 
reprimands  or  punishments.  Her  religion  was  a  love- 
able  religion.  An  old  general  of  the  Algerian  wars 
was  influenced  by  her  to  resume  the  practice  of  re- 
ligious observance,  and  came  to  the  Communion  table 
in  the  Claremont  Chapel  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 
When  her  grandchildren  grew  older  she  set  aside  an 
hour  daily  to  spend  with  them,  and  they  never  forgot 
her  sayings  and  the  advice  then  given  to  them. 

Those  who  saw  her  pray  or  receive  the  Sacraments, 
or  heard   her  speak  on  some  solemn  subject,    were 

294 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

deeply  impressed,  and  used  to  call  her  "  the  saintly 
Queen  ". 

Every  year  she  brought  over  French  priests  to 
hold  Retreats  at  Claremont  before  Christmas  and 
Easter,  and  she  used  to  drive  over  to  Kingston  to 
attend  Vespers  at  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  In 
this  church  the  Due  d'Alen^on  and  Princess  Frances 
d'Orleans,  daughter  of  Prince  de  Joinville  made  their 
first  Communion,  and  here  also  the  latter  was  married 
to  her  cousin,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  in  1863,  and  the 
Comte  de  Paris  in  1864  to  his  cousin.  Princess  Isa- 
bella, daughter  of  the  Due  de  Montpensier. 

On  Sundays  the  Due  d'Aumale  always  drove  his 
wife  and  children  over  from  Twickenham  to  Clare- 
mont for  the  Sunday  Mass,  and  remained  to  dinner. 

The  Queen  used  to  hear  Mass  every  morning  at 
8  o'clock,  the  long  gallery  parallel  to  the  principal 
facade  having  been  turned  into  a  chapel.  After  Mass 
the  Due  de  Nemours  would  come  to  her  room,  bring- 
ing the  Times  or  some  other  English  papers,  and  read 
out  the  most  interesting  news  to  her.  It  could  hardly 
have  been  without  some  bitter  reflections  that  they 
read  of  Louis  Napoleon's  assumption  of  the  Imperial 
title  in  France,  and  of  the  visits  subsequently  ex- 
changed between  the  Emperor  and  Empress  and 
Queen  Victoria,  and  of  the  Emperor's  enthusiastic 
reception  in  England,  where  not  many  years  previous 
the  same  friendship  and  public  enthusiasm  had  been 
shown  to  Louis  Philippe.  At  all  events  a  sense  of  the 
small  value  of  political  friendships  or  general  popu- 
larity must   have  been  brought  home  to  them,  and 

295 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

this  feeling  must  have  been  enhanced  when  Napoleon 
HI.  confiscated  the  whole  of  the  property  of  the 
d'Orleans  family  in  France. 

In  1852  he  issued  a  decree  announcing  that  no 
member  of  that  family  could  hold  property  in  France, 
and  that  all  they  possessed  must  be  sold  within  a 
year,  and  that  all  the  private  estates  of  the  House  of 
Orleans,  which  Louis  Philippe  had  settled  on  his 
children,  were  to  revert  to  the  State,  though  they  had 
not  been  derived  from  the  State.  Eloquent  protests 
against  this  spoliation  were  made  in  the  Chamber,  in 
which  tribute  was  paid  to  the  fine  qualities  of  Marie 
Amelie's  sons  and  their  patriotism,  but  all  was  of  no 
avail,  and  several  ministers  resigned  office  as  a  sign 
of  disapproval.^ 

Queen  Marie  Amelie  had  never  encouraged  in  her 
family  any  hope  of  recovering  the  Throne  of  France. 
If  she  hoped  for  any  restoration,  it  was  for  that  of 
the  elder  branch,  of  which  the  Comte  de  Chambord 
(Due  de  Bordeaux),  her  great-nephew,  was  the  repre- 
sentative. She  desired  a  fusion  between  the  two 
branches  of  the  Bourbons. 

She  often  said  :  "  I  have  occupied  two  stations  in 
life,  the  first,  as  Queen,  and  the  second,  when  Duchesse 
d'Orleans.     Believe  me,  the  second  is  the  best !  " 

^  Louis  Napoleon's  own  position  was  most  precarious.  When 
he  proposed  to  Mile.  Montijo,  he  said  :  "  You  see  the  advantages 
of  the  position,  it  is  my  duty  to  point  out  the  dangers.  You  will 
be  beside  me  when  attempts  are  made  (as  undoubtedly  they  will) 
to  assassinate  me.  Conspiracies  are  life  in  the  army  ;  to  prevent 
an  explosion  I  must  go  to  war,  which  may  ruin  me.  You  see  the 
chances  of  misfortune  are  quite  equal  to  those  of  good  fortune." 

296 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  widowed  Duchesse  d'OrMans  did  not  share 
these  ideas,  and  thought  it  her  duty  to  uphold  the 
interests  of  her  son,  the  Comte  de  Paris. 

In  1853  the  Due  de  Nemours  was  sent  to  Frohs- 
dorf  to  obtain  an  interview  with  the  Comte  de  Cham- 
bord  and  discuss  the  advantages  of  a  fusion. 

At  that  time  his  mother  was  in  Spain  with  the  Due 
and  Duchesse  de  Montpensier  ^  who  made  their  home 
at  the  Palais  de  St.  Telmo  at  Seville,  where  the  Duke 
had  arranged  a  set  of  apartments  for  his  mother, 
which  communicated  with  the  chapel.  There  she 
received  a  letter  from  the  Due  de  Nemours  telling 
her  that  his  interview  with  the  Comte  de  Chambord 
had  passed  off  successfully.  In  reply  she  wrote : 
"  Seville,  1st  December,  1853.  Mon  cher,  bien  aime 
ami.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  great  my  delight  was  at 
the  contents  of  your  letter.  My  first  impulse  was  to 
go  to  my  prayer-desk  in  the  chapel  and  return  thanks 
to  God.  All  the  details  that  you  give  me  of  this  re- 
conciliation, the  accomplishment  of  which  has  been 
for  so  long  the  object  of  my  desires,  fill  me  with  joy, 
especially  as  I  know  that  it  is  in  accordance  with  the 
wishes  and  intentions  of  your  beloved  father. 

*'  I  am  glad  you  met  the  Emperor  and  Empress 
(Austria)  and  am  much  touched  by  the  messages  they 
sent  me,  and  also  by  those  from  the  Comte  de  Cham- 
bord." 

The  first  step  towards  reconciliation  had  come 
from  the  Comte  de  Chambord,  who  on  the  death  of 

^  As  Infanta  of  Spain,  the  i  Duchesse  de  Montpensier  had  a  large 
fortune. 

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THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Louis  Philippe  had  ordered  and  attended  a  Memorial 
Service  in  his  honour,  at  Wiesbaden  where  he  was 
then  staying,  and  had  sent  his  condolences  to  Marie 
Amelie.  A  common  misfortune  had  perhaps  obliter- 
ated any  rancour  he  might  have  retained  towards 
Louis  Philippe,  as  usurper  of  his  rights. 

To  the  Duchesse  d'Orl^ans,  Marie  Amelie  wrote  : 
'*  As  you  do  not  mention  the  Frohsdorf  visit,  I  con- 
clude you  wish  nothing  to  be  said  between  us  on  the 
subject.  I  respect  your  feelings,  though  you  have 
long  known  that  our  opinions  differ  on  this  subject.  I 
only  hope  it  will  make  no  difference  in  your  affection 
for  me.     I  love  you  as  I  have  always  done." 

The  Duchesse  d'Orleans  was  deeply  hurt  at  what 
she  thought  an  abandonment  of  the  recognition  of 
her  son's  claims  ;  but  nevertheless  this  clouded  only 
for  a  time  her  affectionate  relations  with  her  mother- 
in-law  and  brothers-in-law. 

The  cold  English  winters  did  not  suit  Marie 
Amelie  ;  she  made  trips  to  many  English  watering 
places.  In  1854  she  went  to  Italy  ;  at  Comigliano  she 
was  taken  dangerously  ill.  After  a  while  she  was 
moved  to  Nervi,  but  in  spite  of  a  spacious  house 
amidst  orange  groves,  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, balmy  air  and  lovely  surroundings,  it  was  long 
before  she  recovered  strength.  The  Nemours  and 
Clementine  of  Saxe-Cobourg  were  with  her,  and  at 
one  time  her  situation  was  so  critical  that  her  sons 
d'Aumale  and  de  Joinville  were  summoned ;  but 
eventually  she  recovered,  and  was  able  to  receive  a 
visit  from  her  great-nephew,  the  Comte  de  Chambord, 

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THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

which  must  have  aroused  many  conflicting  emotions 
and  revived  many  old  memories.  Although  friendly 
and  cordial  relations  ensued,  it  was  found  that  the 
political  ideas  of  the  two  branches  were  not  com- 
patible, and  no  compact  was  entered  into.  However, 
the  Comte  de  Chambord  always  retained  feelings  of 
respect  and  attachment  for  Marie  Am^lie,  and  when 
he  came  to  England  for  the  Great  Exhibition  of  1862, 
he  did  not  fail  to  pay  her  a  visit.  She  was  then 
at  Tunbridge  Wells,  and  none  of  her  sons  were 
present. 

On  the  26th  April,  1857,  there  was  a  great  family 
gathering  at  Claremont  for  the  celebration  of  Marie 
Am^lie's  seventy-fifth  birthday.  One  who  was  pre- 
sent, M.  Allaire,  tutor  of  the  Due  de  Chartres,  com- 
ments as  follows  :  *'  It  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  see 
Queen  Marie  Amelie  in  the  midst  of  her  sons,  all  of 
whom  were  distinguished  either  for  their  bravery  and 
glorious  exploits,  or  their  intelligence  and  talents  ; 
and  of  the  Princesses,  her  daughters  and  daughters- 
in-law,  who  had  come  from  so  many  different  countries, 
but  were  all  united  by  their  common  love  for  and 
devotion  to  the  Queen.  The  troop  of  grandsons  and 
daughters  were  delighted  to  meet  each  other  and  to 
obtain  the  approving  smile  of  'Grandmamma  de 
France '.  After  so  many  troubles  and  vicissitudes,  it 
was  almost  a  surprise  to  the  elders  to  find  themselves 
really  happy  and  content." 

The  same  autumn  a  deep  sorrow  came  to  Marie 
Amelie  and  her  best  loved  son.  The  Duchesse  de 
Nemours  died  quite  suddenly  at  her  toilette,  a  few 

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THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

days  after  her  confinement.     The  details  of  the  grief 
of  her  husband  and  children  are  very  pathetic. 

Queen  Victoria  wrote :  "  The  venerable  Queen 
v^ith  the  motherless  children  around  her,  v^^as  ad- 
mirable in  her  deep  grief  and  her  pious  resignation  to 
the  Will  of  God  ;  the  support  and  comfort  of  all, 
thinking  only  of  others  and  ready  to  devote  her 
remaining  years  and  strength  to  her  grandchildren  ". 


300 


CHAPTEK  XV  I. 

Death  of  Duchesse  de  Nemours  and  Duchesse  d'0rl6ans — Marie 
Am^lie's  Interest  in  the  Education  of  her  Grandchildren — 
Her  Grandsons  enter  the  Spanish  Army — Field  Sports  at 
Claremont — The  Eoyal  Choir — The  Princes  go  to  America 
and  Take  Part  in  the  Civil  War — Marriages  in  the  Family — 
Last  Illness  and  Death  of  the  Queen — Notes  on  the  Subsequent 
Fate  of  her  Descendants. 

The  French  newspapers  had  some  very  sympathetic 
notices  on  the  death  of  the  Duchesse  de  Nemours, 
who  had  been  universally  loved  and  admired  in 
France,  and  Queen  Victoria  did  everything  in  her 
power  to  show  her  love  and  sympathy.  She  carried 
on  a  close  correspondence  with  the  Duke,  which 
shows  the  real  interest  she  took  in  him  and  his  child- 
ren, and  also  in  his  brothers  and  nephews.^ 

The  following  year  another  sorrow  befell  the 
family,  the  death  at  Richmond,  July,  1857,  of  the 
Duchesse  d'Orleans. 

Marie  Amelie's  tenderness  for  the  two  young 
sons  of  the  Duchess  was  redoubled ;  when  they  were 
away  she  wrote  constantly  to  them.     The  second  son, 

^  These  letters  were  found  among  the  Due  de  Nemours'  papers 
at  his  death,  when  only  this  correspondence  ended.  His  son  re- 
stored them  to  the  Queen. 

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THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Chartres,  was  admitted  to  the  military  college  at 
Turin,  passed  his  examinations  successfully,  and  was, 
to  his  great  joy,  allowed  to  accompany  the  Sardinian 
army  on  the  Italian  campaign,  and  fight  side  by  side 
with  French  soldiers. 

In  1859  the  Comte  d'Eu,  Gaston  d'Orleans,  eldest 
son  of  the  Due  de  Nemours,  obtained  a  commis- 
sion in  the  Spanish  army,  and  made  a  campaign  in 
Algeria. 

His  younger  brother,  Due  d'Alencon,  was  placed 
as  a  scholar  in  the  High  School  at  Edinburgh ;  his 
cousin,  the  Due  de  Penthievre,  was  there  also,  and 
on  Sundays  Prince  de  Conde,  the  eldest  son  of  Due 
d'Aumale,  who  had  a  residence  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, took  them  out  to  dinner.  Though  so  distant, 
their  grandmother  took  an  interest  in  all  that  con- 
cerned them,  and  wrote  constantly.  One  letter  is 
extant  in  which  she  said  :  **  The  2nd  of  the  month 
is  the  Feast  of  Purification.  If  you  do  not  feel  in 
yourselves  fitting  dispositions  to  have  the  happiness 
of  approaching  the  Holy  Table,  I  wish  you  to  go  to 
Confession  in  order  to  put  yourselves  right  with  God,, 
and  get  strength  to  live  a  good  life." 

The  daily  life  at  Claremont  was  quiet  and  mon- 
otonous, though  on  hunting  days  the  Queen  was 
always  in  a  state  of  anxiety.  All  the  d'Orleans 
Princes  delighted  in  field  sports,  but  following  the 
fox  across  country,  English  fashion,  is  not  without 
risks,  and  a  fair  share  of  accidents  befell  them. 

We  hear  of  the  Comte  de  Paris  breaking  his  leg,, 
the  Due  de  Nemours  a  wrist,  and  it  is  not  surprising 

302 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

that  the  sailor  Prince  de  Joinville,  when  on  one  oc- 
casion his  liorse  refused  a  fence,  fell  on  his  head  and 
escaped  serious  consequences  by  a  miracle.  The  three 
brothers  kept  a  pack  of  harriers,  and  also  hunted 
with  the  Surrey  stag-hounds,  and  were  very  popular 
with  their  neighbours  in  consequence. 

The  Queen  was  unable  in  her  later  years  to  leave 
the  house  in  winter,  and  her  sons  and  daughters, 
who  entered  heartily  into  any  plan  that  might  give 
her  pleasure,  occupied  themselves  with  forming  a 
choir  for  the  better  performance  of  the  services  in 
the  chapel.  The  Due  de  Montpensier  presented  an 
organ.  General  de  Chabannes  played  it,  and  acted 
as  choirmaster.  The  Duchesse  d'Aumale  sang  solos, 
and  the  household  formed  the  body  of  the  choir,  well 
supported  by  the  Due  d'Aumale,  who  had  a  fine  bass 
voice. 

There  are  people  living  who  have  a  vivid  re- 
membrance of  the  great  drawing-room  on  the  left 
of  the  entrance  hall  at  Claremont.  It  was  uphol- 
stered in  yellow  damask.  At  one  end  was  a  large 
round  table,  where  the  household  sat  reading  French 
newspapers,  with  which  it  was  loaded ;  at  the  other 
end  was  another  table  at  which  Marie  Amelie  would 
sit  reading  or  working  or  talking  to  any  one  she  might 
have  invited  to  sit  beside  her. 

In  1861  the  Prince  de  Joinville,  the  Comte  de 
Paris  and  Due  de  Chartres  went  to  America  and 
took  part  in  the  Civil  War  raging  between  North 
and  South,  fighting  in  the  United  States  army  under 
General  McClellan,  whose  encomiums  they  won. 

303 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

After  their  return  to  England  their  marriages  took 
place.^  That  of  the  Comte  de  Paris  to  his  cousin,  Isa- 
bella, daughter  of  the  Due  de  Montpensier,  was  some- 
thing of  a  function.  Several  Princes  of  the  English 
royal  family,  as  well  as  a  considerable  number  of 
friends  and  well-wishers  from  all  parts  of  France, 
attended  the  ceremony,  which  took  place  at  Kingston 
on  30th  May,  1864. 

The  inhabitants  of  Kingston  and  the  district, 
where  the  d'Orleans  were  well  known  and  beloved, 
decorated  the  town  and  did  all  they  could  to  honour 
the  occasion. 

The  marriage  of  the  Due  de  Chartres  to  the 
daughter  of  Prince  de  Joinville,  had  not  attracted  so 
much  notice  ;  the  elder  brother,  the  Comte  de  Paris, 
being  the  head  of  the  House  of  d'Orleans,  and  by 
many  still  recognised  as  rightful  heir  to  the  Crown  of 
France. 

In  1864  Comte  d'Eu,  Gaston  d'Orleans,  eldest 
son  of  the  Due  de  Nemours  went  to  Brazil.  There 
he  married  the  Infanta  Isabella,  eldest  daughter  of 
the  Emperor  Pedro  II.  and  heiress  to  the  Throne  of 
Brazil.  The  conditions  of  this  marriage  were  that 
Gaston  d'Orleans  should  renounce  his  nationality  as 
a  Frenchman  and  become  a  nationalised  (or  natural- 
ised) Brazilian,  and  reside  in  Brazil. 

His  rights  as  eldest  son  of  the  Due  de  Nemours 
consequently  devolved  on  his  younger  brother,  the  Due 
d'Alencon,  to  whom,  two  days  after  the  celebration  of 
his  brother's  marriage  at  Rio  Janeiro,  Marie  Amelie 

1  See  p.  295. 
304 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

wrote  :  "  People  congratulate  us,  but  in  reality  it  has 
been  a  great  sacrifice,  especially  to  your  father.  This 
marriage  which  has  deprived  us  of  Gaston/  places 
new  duties  on  your  shoulders,  as  chief  of  the  family 
after  your  father.  Endeavour  to  fit  yourself  to  fulfil 
them,  and  to  be  a  comfort  to  your  father  and  a  pro- 
tector to  your  sister.  Study  carefully  the  history  of 
France,  and  remember  that  uprightness  and  loyalty 
are  the  best  political  principles." 

The  Due  d'Alengon  entered  the  Spanish  army ; 
he  subsequently  married  a  Bavarian  Princess  (sister 
of  the  Empress  of  Austria)  who  met  her  death  in 
the  terrible  fire  at  the  Bazaar  de  la  Charite  in  Paris, 
1897. 

The  Due  d'Alengon's  journal  giving  an  account  of 
his  voyage  to  the  Philippines  with  Spanish  troops  was 
one  of  the  last  things  read  to  his  grandmother,  which 
she  listened  to  with  interest. 

In  January,  1866,  her  strength  began  visibly  to 
fail.  A  cough  prevented  her  sleeping,  but  still  she 
did  not  keep  her  bedroom,  and  occasionally  went  out 
driving. 

In  March,  Pere  Didon  came  from  Paris  for  the 
annual  Retreat  which  the  Queen  caused  to  be  held 
before  Easter. 

On  Passion  Sunday,  18th  March,  she  drove  out 
with  Mme.  de  Chabannes,  on  Wednesday  she  played 
whist  in  the  drawing-room.     Thursday  she  remained 

^In  1865  Comte  d'Eu  was  allowed  by  the  Emperor  to  visit 
England,  and  present  his  wife  to  Queen  Marie  Amelie  and  the 
rest  of  his  family, 

305  20 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

in  her  bedroom.  The  Due  d'Alenyon's  journal  ar- 
rived, and  she  enjoyed  hearing  it.  On  Friday  she 
wrote  a  birthday  letter  to  his  brother  Gaston  in 
Brazil,  the  last  letter  she  ever  vs^rote.  She  also  re- 
ceived visits  in  her  room  from  the  Chabannes,  who 
were  leaving,  from  Fere  Didon,  M.  Trognon,  and  the 
Princesse  de  Joinville,  but  being  tired  went  to  bed  at 
five  o'clock.  Dr.  Mussy  visited  her,  but  discovered 
no  alarming  symptoms.  However,  next  morning 
when  the  Due  de  Nemours  entered  her  room,  he 
perceived  that  she  was  much  weaker,  and  in  fact 
sinking.  She  roused  herself  to  say  a  few  words,  and 
then  sank  into  a  kind  of  stupor. 

All  of  the  family  who  were  at  Claremont,  the 
Due  de  Nemours  and  his  daughter,  Princesse  Mar- 
guerite, the  Due  and  Duchesse  de  Chartres,  the 
Princesse  de  Joinville,  and  the  household  gathered 
around  her  bed.  Marie  Am^lie  was  able  to  press 
their  hands,  but  never  spoke  again. 

Pere  Didon  administered  extreme  unction  and 
recited  the  prayers  for  the  dying,  and  by  ten  o'clock 
she  had  breathed  her  last,  peacefully  and  without  any 
struggle  or  sign  of  suffering.  She  had  attained  the 
age  of  eighty-two. 

Writing  to  inform  his  son  of  the  event,  the  Due  de 
Nemours  said  :  "  The  Queen  is  no  more.  We  have 
lost  that  dear  mother  who  was  reverenced  as  a  kind 
of  Divinity  in  our  family.  It  is  a  great  blow  to  all  of 
us,  but  we  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  the 
sorrows  and  trials  of  her  life  are  at  last  over,  and  that 
she  has  entered  into  the  enjoyment   of   the   eternal 

306 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

happiness  which  her  great  virtues  must  have  won  for 
her,  and  that  she  passed  away  without  pain." 

The  following  day,  Kalm  Sunday,  Queen  Victoria 
and  two  of  her  daughters  (who  are  now  Princess 
Christian  and  the  Duchess  of  Argyll),  came  to  Clare- 
mont,  wishing  to  take  a  last  look  at  the  venerable 
Queen  whom  they  had  so  greatly  loved  and  admired. 

She  was  still  a  noble  figure,  lying  on  her  death- 
bed, with  her  white  hair  beautifully  arranged  under 
her  widow's  cap,  and  she  was  clothed  in  the  robe  she 
had  worn  when  leaving  France  after  the  abdication. 
She  had  it  preserved  expressly  for  this  purpose. 

Some  years  previous  she  had  said  to  the  Due  de 
Nemours  :  "  Remember  !  When  I  die,  you  are  to  put 
on  my  tomb  : — 

"  Here  lies 
**  Marie  Amelie  de  Bourbon,  Duchesse  d'Orleans." 

"But,  chere  Majeste,"  repHed  her  son,  "you  can- 
not efface  history." 

Marie  Amelie  raised  her  arm  with  a  tragic  gesture 
and  said  :  "  Alas  !  to  my  sorrow.  Queen  of  the  French". 

The  coffin  of  Marie  Am^ie  rested  in  the  chapel  of 
the  cemetery  at  Weybridge,  beside  those  of  her  hus- 
band, her  daughter-in-law,  the  Duchesse  d'Orleans, 
and  others  of  the  family  who  had  died  in  exile, 
and  it  was  not  till  1876  that  they  were  removed  to 
Dreux.^ 

^  The  remains  of  the  Duchesse  de  Nemours  were  not  removed, 
but  rest  at  Weybridge,  under  the  beautiful  tomb  executed  by 
Chapu. 

307 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

The  mausoleum  of  the  d'Orleans  family  at  Dreux 
is  on  a  hill.  The  windows  are  filled  with  beautiful 
stained  glass,  executed  at  Sevres,  and  all  around  are 
statues  of  members  of  the  family. 

King  Louis  Philippe  stands  upright  in  the  midst 
of  them  all ;  Marie  Am^lie  kneels  at  his  feet  in  a 
beautiful  pose.  There  is  a  sublime  and  peaceful 
beauty  in  all  those  exquisite  white  marble  people, 
resting  there  under  the  slanting  rainbow  sun-rays 
from  the  magnificent  windows. 

Claremont  reverted  to  the  English  Crown  after 
the  death  of  Marie  Amelie,  and  after  the  funeral 
ceremony  the  Due  de  Nemours,  writing  to  his  son, 
said  :  "I  am  entirely  absorbed  in  the  task  of  carrying 
out  the  wishes  of  our  dear  Queen  with  regard  to  her 
belongings  at  Claremont.  All  the  familiar  objects 
on  which  our  eyes  were  accustomed  to  rest  have 
been  dispersed,  among  them  things  that  had  been 
saved  from  the  shipwreck  of  1848.  Some  are  going 
to  Seville,  others  as  far  as  Brazil,  and  all  that  goes 
to  the  three  female  branches  will  be  lost  to  the 
House  of  Orleans.  I  have  been  seeing  Claremont 
dismembered  piece  by  piece,  until  for  us  it  no  longer 
exists.     It  has  been  a  great  strain." 

By  order  of  Queen  Victoria,  the  room  in  which  the 
Duchesse  de  Nemours  died  was  left  untouched.  Up  to 
the  present  day  everything  remains  as  it  was  when  she 
occupied  it.  In  the  grounds  at  Claremont  ^  the  mock 
fortifications,  by  means  of  which  the  Nemours  chil- 

'  The  Duchess  of  Albany  now  resides  at  Claremont, 

308 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELTE 

dren  were  taught  the  art  of  war,  still  exist,  and  these 
mementos  of  the  sojourn  of  the  French  royal  family 
still  excite  interest. 

As  the  Due  de  Nemours  was  oblii^red  to  leave 
Claremont  after  the  death  of  his  mother.  Queen 
Victoria  gave  him  the  use  of  another  royal  residence, 
Bushey  House,  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  Dow- 
ager Queen  Adelaide.  The  rest  of  the  family  were 
not  far  off.  The  Due  d'Aumale  had  bought  Orleans 
House  at  Twickenham,  where  his  father  had  lived 
when  Due  d'Orl^ans ;  the  Prince  de  Joinville  close 
by  at  a  house  called  Mount  Lebanon,  and  the  Comte 
de  Paris  established  himself  at  York  House,  once 
the  abode  of  James  II.,  and  his  son  (the  present  Due 
d'Orleans)  was  born  there  in  the  room  Queen  Anne 
had  been  born  in. 

It  was  not  until  after  the  Franco-Prussian  war, 
the  fall  of  Napoleon  III.,  and  the  re-establishment 
of  the  French  Republic,  that  in  1871  the  law  exil- 
ing the  d'Orleans  family  was  abrogated,  and  they 
were  free  to  return  to  their  dearly  loved  native 
country.^ 

The  Dues  de  Nemours  and  d'Aumale  were  re- 
stored to  their  former  positions  in  the  French  army, 
and  the  Dues  de  Chartres  and  d'Alencon  also  received 
commissions. 

The  Due  d'Aumale  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Academy,  and  the  Due  de  Nemours  did 
yeoman    service    as    President    of    the    Red    Cross 

^  They  were  received  with  great  respect  and  cordiahty,  and 
were  everywhere  regarded  with  much  interest. 

309 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

Society.  By  a  compact  entered  into  with  the  State, 
a  great  part  of  their  property  was  restored  to 
them. 

Some  years  of  peace  and  happiness  followed,  but 
misfortune  always  dogged  the  heels  of  the  d'Orl^ans 
family,  however  little  they  deserved  it. 

In  1883  Prince  Napoleon  made  an  abortive 
attempt  to  upset  the  Republic,  the  result  of  which 
was  the  passing  of  a  decree,  declaring  that  no  mem- 
bers of  families  who  had  reigned  in  France  could  hold 
commissions  in  the  French  army. 

This  of  course  included  the  d'OrMans  Princes. 
The  leave-taking  between  the  young  Dues  de 
Chartres  and  d'Alen9on  and  their  regiments  was 
most  touching. 

In  1886,  not  without  fierce  debates  (in  which 
justice  was  done  to  the  fine  qualities  of  the  d'OrMans 
Princes  and  the  fact  that  they  had  taken  part  in 
no  conspiracies)  and  after  the  overthrow  of  three 
successive  Ministries,  another  decree  was  issued 
which  exiled  "heads  of  families  who  had  reigned 
in  France  and  their  direct  heirs  in  order  of  primo- 
geniture." This  did  not  affect  the  Due  de  Nemours 
and  his  brothers,  but  drove  out  the  Comte  de 
Paris  and  his  son  the  Due  d'Orleans,  who  returned 
to  England,  where  the  Comte  de  Paris  died  in  1894. 

The  Rebellion  of  1889  in  Brazil,  drove  the 
Brazilian  royal  family,  including  Comte  d'Eu,  Con- 
sort of  the  heiress-presumptive  to  the  Crown,  into 
exile. 

Comte  d'Eu  was  not  popular  in  Brazil,  because,  as 

310 


THE  LIFE  OF  MAKIE  AMELIE 

one  who  was  on  intimate  terms  with  him  in  that 
country  said,  "  he  was  a  gentleman  ".  The  Emperor 
Dom  Fedro  was  a  tine  character,  enlightened  and 
upright ;  but  he  was  warned,  when  with  one  stroke  of 
a  pen  he  abolished  slavery  in  Brazil,  that  he  was  at 
the  same  time  signing  the  abolition  of  the  Monarchy. 
The  conservative  classes  were  reduced  to  poverty  by 
the  abolition  of  slavery,  so  he  had  no  supporters  to 
help  him  to  stand  against  the  growing  forces  of  Re- 
volution in  Brazil. 

Every  one  acknowledged  the  fine  qualities  of  the 
Emperor,  but  young  Brazil  wanted  to  re-shuffle  the 
cards.  They  were  of  the  classes  who  have  nothing  to 
lose,  and  hope  that  in  a  new  deal  fortune  may  favour 
them. 

The  old  Emperor  had  no  warning ;  he  was  awakened 
in  the  middle  of  the  night,  dragged  out  of  bed  and 
told  to  dress,  and  with  all  the  royal  family  marched 
down  to  the  port  between  two  lines  of  soldiers,  put 
on  a  tramp  steamer,  and  shipped  off  to  Europe.  So 
well  had  the  Revolutionists  taken  their  measure  that 
any  resistance  was  impossible. 

Three  descendants  of  Queen  Marie  Am^lie  occupy 
European  Thrones  to-day. 

The  late  King  of  the  Belgians,  Leopold  IL,  was 
her  grandson  ;  his  nephew  and  successor,  the  present 
King,  is  her  great  grandson.  Another  grandson  is 
Ferdinand,^  Tzar  of  Bulgaria,  and  her  great  grand- 

^Son  of  Princess  Clementina  of  Saxe-Cobourg,  youngest 
daughter  of  Louis  Philippe  and  Marie  Amelie. 

311 


THE  LIFE  OF  MARIE  AMELIE 

daughter  and  namesake  Marie  Amelie  is  Queen  of 
Portugal.^  Her  sad  experience  of  the  dangers  and 
sorrows  to  which  Kings  and  Queens  are  exposed  in 
these  days,  transcends  even  that  of  her  revered  an- 
cestress. 

1  Daughter  of  the  late  Comte  de  Paris.  Her  husband  and  son 
were  assassinated  while  driving  with  her  in  the  streets  of  Lisbon, 
1907. 


ai2 


INDEX 


Aboukir,  battle  of,  41. 

Acton,  Lord,  25. 

Adelaide  d'Orl(5ans,  birth,  81. 

—  —  education,  8.5. 

—  —  proposed  marriage,  88. 

—  —  goes  to  England,  89. 

—  —  life  in  exile,  95. 
character,  180. 

—  —  influence  over  brother,  183. 

political  influence,  189. 

death,  264. 

Albert,  Prince,  255,  260,  262,  285. 
d'Alen90n,  Due,  271,  295,  302,  310. 

—  Duchesse,  305. 
Alexander,  Emperor,  147. 
Algiers,  war  in,  239,  246,  286. 
Ambrozio,  Signora,  31. 
d'Angouleme,     Due,    77,    88,    129, 

191. 

—  Duchesse,  125,  146, 148,  178,  200, 

225. 
d'Anjou,  Count,  17. 

—  Philippe,  18,  19. 
Antoine,  Archduke,  60. 

d'Artois,  Comte,  101,  123-125,  131, 
148,  170. 

—  Mile.,  158,  160,  190,  195. 
Asturias,  Prince  of,  29,  60,  64. 

—  Princess,  61. 

d'Aumale,  Due,  168,  242,  245,  246, 
286,  290,  295,  298,  302,  309. 

—  Duchesse,  246,  256,  303. 
Austria,  Empress  Theresa,  42,  57,  59, 

66. 

—  Emperor,  128,  129,  297. 


B 


Balbi,  Comtesse  de,  119. 
Bamburg,  Bishop  of,  60. 


Barcelona,  102. 
Barrot,  Odilon,  192,  266. 
Barthe,  Chancellor,  210. 
Bastille,  69. 
Beaudoin,  96. 

Beauharnais,  Eugene,  68,  147. 
Beaujolais,  Comte  de,  85,  101. 
Belgians,  King  of,  172,  212,  251,  253, 
256,  261,  285,  293,  311. 

—  Queen    of,    212,   225,    236,    243, 

251,  262,  293. 
Bellechasse,  85,  86. 
Bentinck,  Lord  W,,  110,  157. 
Berlin,  235. 
Berry,  Due  de,  79,  143,  154-156  (159 

assassination).  -^j    ., 

—  Duchesse  de,  birth,  64.      f 

—  —  marriage,  154-158. 

popularity,  190-199.     '  :' 

in  La  Vendee,  216,  224. 

—  —  second  marriage,  224. 
Berryer,  218. 

Berthier,  General,  122. 
Bertrand,  General,  249. 
Blacas,  Due  de,  130,  142,  145,  170, 

216. 
Blaye,  215,  221,  222,  224. 
Boigne,  Comtesse  de,  137. 
Bombelles,  Marquis  de,  157. 
Bonaparte,  Jerome,  252. 

—  Joseph,  27,  66,  67,  110. 

—  Napoleon,   1.5,  48,  58,  66,    140, 

144,  195,  230,  246,  249. 
Bonrecueil,  Mme.  de,  217. 
Bordeaux,  Due  de,  168, 173, 181,  192, 

21.5,  227,  247,  274. 
Bossy,  Marie,  222. 
Bourbon  Dynasty,  19,  98,  116,  144, 

296.' 

—  Due  de,  80. 

—  Duchesse  de,  103,  168. 
Bourmont,  Marshal,  217. 


313 


INDEX 


Bover,  General,  243. 
Brazil,  242,  249,  304,  310. 
Bresson,  M.  de,  277,  279-281. 
Brussels,  243,  252,  293. 
Bugeaud,  Marshal,  268. 
Bulgaria,  Prince  of,  254,  311. 
Bushey  House,  309. 


Calabria,  16,  42,  62,  66. 

Calle  Toledo,  45. 

Capri,  53. 

Caserta,  23,  29,  58. 

Catania,  56. 

Cay  la,  Comtesse  de,  120,  150-152. 

Chabannes,  General  de,  291,  303. 

—  Mme.  de,  305. 

Chambord,  Comte  de,  215,  216,  225, 

296,  299. 
Champoinet,  General,  49,  109. 
Chautereau,  Mme.  de,  128. 
Charette,  Comte  de,  217,  218. 
Charles,  Archduke,  18. 
Charles  X.,  139,  140. 

—  accession,  170-177. 

—  at  Palais  Royal  Jete,  178. 

—  political  mistakes,  181. 

—  abdication,  192. 

—  exile,  199. 

—  religious  views,  209. 
Charliere,  battle  of,  218. 
Charlotte,  Princess,  147,  251,  285. 
Chartres,  L.  P.  Joseph,  Due  de,  74- 

76,  79-83. 

—  Duchesse  de,  75-83. 

—  Ferdinand,  Due  de,  birth,  112. 

—  —  —  education,  1.58,  162. 

—  —  —  general      admiration      for 

him,  153. 

—  —  —  marriage,  236-239. 
death,  254-256. 

—  —  —  public  regret,  270. 
Chateaubriand,  195,  222. 
Chauvelin,  Marquis  de,  119. 
Chune,  La,  battle  of,  217,  218. 
Christina,  Princess,  32,  57,  58. 
Cimarosa,  65. 

Claremont,  285,  289,  290,  308. 
Clementina,    Archduchess,    56,   63, 
113. 


Coude,  Prince  de,  118,  246,  302. 
Constantine,  siege  of,  240,  243. 
Conti,  Princess,  103, 184. 
Corso,  48. 
Cuvillier,  Fleury,  161,  178. 


Daumesnil,  General,  202. 
Dauphin,  the,  35. 
Dawes,  Sophy,  247. 
Deutz,  219,  220,  221. 
Didier,  221. 
Didon,  Pfere,  305. 
Dreux,  272,  273,  275,  307,  308. 
Drouet,  General,  220. 
Dumas,  General,  284,  291. 
Dumouriez,  General,  94. 
Dupin,  77,  136. 
Duval,  221. 


Edgeworth,  Abbe,  132. 
Edinburgh,  302. 
d'Elchingen,  Due,  236. 
Elizabeth  Farnese,  19. 

—  of  Saxony,  20. 

—  Mme.,  38,  127. 
d'fCnghien,  Due,  246. 
d'Estancelin,  M.,  289. 
Etna,  Mount,  56. 
d'Eu,  Chateau,  250,  260. 

—  Comte,  302,  804,  311. 


Featherstonhaugh,  Mr.,  278. 
Ferdinando  III.,  148. 

—  IV.,  20,  22,  28,  32,  63,  104. 

—  the  Order  of,  54. 
Ferronays,  Comte  de  la,  222. 
Feuchars,  Mme.  de,  247. 
Fieschi,  232. 

l^itzjames.  Due  de,  222. 
Folmont,  Comte  de,  103,  183. 
Fontainebleau,  125,  144,  236,  290. 
Fouche,  142,  143,  146,  148,  160. 
Fra  Diavolo,  62. 
Francis  II.,  Emperor,  42. 


314 


INDEX 


Franconi,  1(53,  242. 
Frohsdorff,  298. 


Geulis,  Mme.  de,  69,  71,  81,  83-88, 

91. 
Genoa,  Duke  of,  68. 
Gerard,  Marshal,  203. 
Ghent,  138,  146,  149. 
Girardin,  E.,  269. 
Goutant,  Duchease  de,  191,  192. 
Gringoire,  Bishop,  207. 
Guelle,  Abbe,  291. 
Gueranger,  210. 

Guigny,  Miles,  de,  219,  220,  224. 
Guiscard,  Roger,  16. 
Guizot,    M.,    117,    260,     265,    275, 

279. 
—  Mme.,  214. 


H 


Hamilton,  Emma,  40,  41,  60,  63,  64, 

63. 
Hartwell,  106,  118,  120,  160. 
Haut-Combe,  176. 
Havre,  277. 
Haydn,  .59. 
Herculaneum,  30,  65. 
Honfleur,  274,  276,  282. 


I 


Infanta  Isabel,  64,  66,  177. 
—  of  Brazil,  249,  304. 
Isabella,  Queen,  250,  263. 
d'Issodun,  Comtesse  de,  160. 


Jacobins,  89. 

Janin,  Jules,  111. 

Jemappes,  battle  of,  94. 

Joinville,  Prince  de,  163,  169,  179, 

194,  201,  210,  232,  241,  248, 

286,  290,  298,  303. 
—  Princesse     de,    249,     250,    256, 

.306. 
Josepha,  Archduchess,  21,  22. 
Junot,  General,  61. 


K 

Kaufmann,  Angelica,  1.53. 
Kent,  Duke  of,  148. 
—  Duchess,  234,  243,  263. 
Kersabiac,  Mile,  de,  220. 
Knight,  Cornelia,  58. 


Lachan,  Mme.  de,  217. 

Lacordaire,  Pere,  210. 

Lamartine,  A.,  232,  276,  282. 

Lamorci^re,  268. 

Larnac,  M.  de,  163. 

Lasteyrie,  General,  291. 

Laval,  M.  de,  222. 

Lazzaroni,  32,  52,  62. 

Leopold,  Emperor  of  Austria,  23,  38. 

—  Prince  of  Salerno,  58. 

Saxe  Coburg,  147,  212. 

Lorraine,  Francis  of,  16,  59,  60. 
Louis  XIV.,  18,  73,  74,  76,  171,  199, 

237,  260. 

—  XV.,  58. 

—  XVI.,  37,  38,  49,  53,  69,  93,  116- 

121. 

—  Philippe  d'Orleans,  birth,  78. 

—  —  —  baptism,  81. 

— is  Due  de  Valois,  80. 

Chartres,  87. 

— education,  85. 

fights       in       Republican 

army,  93. 

—  —  —  bravery,  94. 

—  —  —  exile,  96. 

Professor  of  Mathematics, 

96. 
becomes    Due    d'Orleans, 

96. 

— goes  to  America,  98. 

England,  100. 

Sicily,  101. 

marries     Marie      Amelie, 

105. 

—  —  —  reception  at  Paris,  125. 
Louis  XVIII. 's  opinion  of 

him,  81,  147,  148. 
— favoured    by   Charles   X., 

173. 
—  Lamartine's  opinion,  187. 


315 


INDEX 


Louis  Philippe  d'Orleans,  called  to 
the  thi-Qiieof  France, 188. 

— reluctance  to  accept,  195, 

198. 

—  —  —  attempts     to      assassinate 

him,  208. 

—  —  —  wonderful  courage,  208. 

—  —  —  religious  views,  209. 

— life  as  King  of  the  French, 

228. 

—  —  —  restores  Versailles,  228. 

—  —  —  liberal  gifts  to  nation,  228. 
—  opinion  of  Europe,  2G0. 

—  —  —  visits  Queen  Victoria,  262. 
Revolution  of  '48,  265. 

—  —  —  abdication,  268. 

— exile  in  England,  284. 

death,  291. 

Louvel,  160. 

Lucchesi    Palli,    Marquis    de,    216, 
223,  225. 


M 


Macdonald,  Marshal,  141. 
Maine,  Due  du,  74,  260. 
Maintenon,  Chateau  de,  199. 
Malmesbury,  Lord,  239,  255,  285. 
Maria   Carolina,  Queen,   16,  22-25, 

28,  30,  38,  57,    59,   67,   110, 

111. 

—  Theresa,  Empress,  17,  18,  21,  29, 

30,  59. 
Marie  Amelie,  birth,  17,  18. 

—  —  education,  29,  59. 

first  betrothal,  35. 

character,  57,  123. 

—  —  talents,  59. 

—  —  appearance,  60. 

engaged    to   Due    d'Orleans, 

101. 

—  —  marriage,  105, 
leaves  Sicily,  123. 

Louis  XVill.'s  opinion  of,  123. 

—  —  Talleyrand's  opinion  of,  137. 

—  —  husband's  love,  161. 

—  —  her      reluctance     to     accept 

crown,  189,  193,  198. 

—  —  life  as  Queen  of  the  French, 

227,  229. 

—  —  —  in  exile  at  Claremont,  290. 


Marie  Am^e,  death,  300. 

—  Louise,  Empress,  17,  63,  107,  231. 
Mecklenburg,  Princess  of,  236. 
Mesnard,  Comte  de,  158,  216,  217, 

224. 
Messina,  16. 

Metternich,  Prince,  235. 
Meunier,  229. 
Michael  the  Fool,  61. 
Mittau,  130,  132. 
Modena,  Due  de,  216. 
Molg,  266. 

Montalembert,  Comte,  222. 
Montalivet,  205. 
Montesquiou,  A.  de,  292. 

—  Abbe  de,  151. 

—  General,  95. 
Montesson,  Mme.  de,  83. 
Montjoie,  M.  de,  100. 

—  Mme.,  285. 
Montmorency,  R.  de,  292. 

—  Mathieu,  151. 
Montpensier,  Due  de,  85,  250,  262, 

268,  270,  274,  295,  303. 

—  Duchesse  de,  86,  250,  271,  289, 

297. 
Morris,  Governor,  97. 
Mortier,  Marshal,  233. 
Murat,  Prince,  67,  110,  111. 

—  Caroline,  27,  67,  110. 
Musse,  H.  de,  293. 


N 


Nantes,  217,  219,  221. 
Naples,  16,  44,  47,48,  64. 
Napoleon  III.,  295,  309. 
Nelson,  Lord,  40-42,  50-54,  58,  63. 
Nemours,  Due  de,  137,  162. 

—  —  character,  166-168. 
youth,  170,  212,  234,  239. 

—  —  marriage,  243. 
Regent,  258. 

other   events,   272,  287,   290, 

309. 

—  Duchesse  de,  244,  256,  274,  293, 

299,  307. 
Neuilly,  Chateau  "de,  165,  188,  189, 
254. 

—  Comte  de,  284. 
Newborough,  Lady,  75,  77,  81. 


316 


INDEX 


Newhaveii,  282. 
Ney,  Marshal,  HI. 


Olivier,  Emile,  228. 
Ordinances  of  Charles  X.,  188,  203. 
d'Orleans,  Due  de,  Philippe  Egalite, 
(59,  73,  89,  90,  91-94. 

—  Duchesse  Dowager,  99,  103,  122, 

124,  144,  168. 

—  Anne,  Princesse,  72,  175. 

—  Clementine,  Princesse,  244,  252, 

271,  274,  289,  298. 

—  Ferdinand,  Due,  232,   234,  236, 

254,  270. 

—  Fran9oise,  Princesse,  295. 

—  Gaston,  Prince,  302,  304. 

—  Helene,  Duchesse,  238,  255,  257, 

269,  273,  287,  289,  290,  303. 

—  Palazzo,  106,  108. 

—  Isabella,  Princesse,  295. 

—  Louise,  Princesse,  165. 

—  Marie,  Princesse,  240,  252. 
Orleans  House,  147. 
Orleanist  faction,  180. 


Paisello,  65. 

Palais  Royal,   85,  88,  92,  114,    137, 
148,  153,  171,  176,  196. 

sack  of,  267. 

Palermo,  17,  49,  50,  52,  224. 
Paris,  Archbishop  of,  188,  249. 

—  Comte  de,  227,  2.38,  255,  268,  273, 

287,  292,  302,  304,  309,  310. 
Parma,  Due  de,  139. 
Parthenopian  Republic,  58,  62. 
Pasquier,  Doctor,  254. 
Paul,  Captain,  279,  281. 

—  Emperor,  130,  132. 
Pavilion  de  I'Horloge,  270. 

Marsan,  169,  2.38. 

Penthievre,  Due  de,  74,  79,  80. 

—  Mile,  de,  75. 

Perier,  Casimir,  198,  206,  207. 
Plombieres,  25.5. 

Polastron,  Comtesse  de,  124,  171. 
Polignac,  Prince  de,  191. 
Pompeii,  30,  65. 


Pope  Gregory  XVI.,  210. 

Portugal,  Queen   of,  2.50,  251,  253, 

311. 
Presburg,  Diet  of,  60. 
Provence,  Comte  de,  97,  118. 

—  Comtesse  de,  118. 
Prussia,  King  of,  13!),  286. 

—  Queen  of,  27. 


Rambouillet,  191. 
Randau,  186,  248. 
Raspail,  204. 

Keggio,  Duchesse  de,  222. 
Reichenau  College,  96. 
Remusat,  M.  de,  268. 
Restoration,  the,  116. 
Revolution  of  July,  265. 

—  of  1848,  182-193. 
Rheims  Archbishop,  170. 
Rome,  King  of,  111. 

Royal,  Prince,  the,  of  Sicilv,  34,  42, 
55,  6.3,  108. 

—  Princesse,  64,  66. 
Royale,  Madame,  126-135. 
Ruffo,  Cardinal,  62,  6,3,  109. 
Russia,  Emperor  of,  98,  138. 


St.  Andre,  275. 

—  Cloud,  161,  244,  253,   270,   272, 

290. 

—  Elmo,  26. 

—  Menehold,  272. 

—  Nicandro,  20. 

—  Ouen,  151. 

Salerno,  Prince  of,  34,  63,  66,  68, 

102,  110,  246. 
Samson,  93. 
Saracens,  16,  24. 
Sardinia,  King  of,  131,  175. 

—  Queen  of,  32,  65,  68,  174. 
Savoy,  Dukes  of,  72,  175. 
Saxe-Cobourg,  Prince  Augustus  of, 

243  253 

Ferdinand,  244,  253. 

Leopold,  251,  285. 

Princess  Victoria  of,  243. 

Snow,  Miss,  33. 


317 


INDEX 


Soult,  Marshal,  122,  142. 

Spain,  Kin^  Charles  III.,  19,  20,  30. 

IV.,  21. 

v.,  18,  60. 

Spanish  marriages,  the,  250,  263. 

Spence,  Mr.,  33. 

Syracuse,  56. 

—  Conte  di,  224. 


Talleyrand,  186,  197. 
Tamastra,  69,  70. 
Taniicci,  20,  21,  24,  25. 
Temple  of  Concord,  55. 

—  —  Jupiter  Olympus,  55. 
Thierry,  General,  289. 

Thiers,  182,  189,  219,  233,  268,  270. 

Thugut,  59. 

Treport,  280. 

Trognon,  161,  291. 

Trouville,  280,  282. 

Tuileries,  134, 137, 177,  204,  212,  269. 

—  sack  of,  233. 

Twickenham,  100,  147,  290,  309. 
Two  Sicilies,  the.  Kingdom  of,  18- 

20,  23,  24,  61. 


Valenfay,  Due  de,  235. 
Valmv,  battle  of,  94. 
Valois,  Due  de,  80,  84,  104. 
Valori,  Marquis  de,  222. 


Vanguard,  H.M.S.,  41,  51. 

Vend(5e,  La,  216,  218,  223. 

Vernet,  H. ,  240. 

Versailles,  Must^e  de,  228,  240. 

—  FHe,  237. 

Vesuvius,  Mt.,  68. 

Victor  Amadeus,  72. 

Victoria,  Queen,  15,  234,  243,  260,. 

253,  255,  260,  284,  293,  296, 

300,  307. 
Vienna,  59,  129,  235. 
Vierzon,  Comtesse  de,  160,  217. 
Vigee  le  Brun,  Mme.,  47. 
Villeneuve,  Marquis  de,  217. 
Villette,  Marquis  de,  222. 
Villiers  Coterets,  193. 
Vincennes,  202. 
Voltaire,  44,  210. 

W 

Windsor,  245,  253,  263. 
Wiiiterhalter,  246. 
Wurtemberg,  Prince  of,  240,  252. 


York  House,  309. 
—  Duke  of,  148. 


Zell,  Chapel  of,  60. 
Zoe  de  Cayla,  120. 


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